Gianforte deploys 10 Guard troops to Texas for border operations

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Jenn Rowell

Montana National Guard Army - The Electric

Gov. Greg Gianforte has deployed 10 Montana National Guard soldiers to Texas in support of their efforts to secure the southern U.S. border.

He also signed an executive order declaring a disaster on the southern border.

Texas had submitted a request through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact earlier this year, requesting help from states to secure the border and in February, Gianforte met with the Texas governor and 13 other governors to hear about the issues at the border, according to Gianforte’s office.

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On Feb. 13, Gianforte directed Maj. Gen. Pete Hronek, Montana’s adjutant general, to work with Texas to identify ways Montana could support Texas and identify volunteers for potential support missions.

The Montana troops are on state active duty and are scheduled to arrive in Texas on April 8 as part of Operation Lone State and return May 12, according to the governor’s office.

Montana Guard continuing support of flood search and rescue operations [2022]

The soldiers will be joining troops from Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa and Nebraska, according to the Montana National Guard.

The Montana group consists of wheeled vehicle mechanics who will be maintaining and repairing Texas’ vehicles such as Humvees, according to the Montana National Guard.

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“The soldiers and airmen of the Montana National Guard are always ready to respond to requests for support from our fellow states,” Hronek said in a release. “In recent years we have provided support outside our state in response to hurricanes, flooding and fires, and on this mission we will be supporting Texas in their ongoing border mission.”

Montana Guard troops returning home from D.C. [2021]

According to the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Rocky Mountain Field Division, more than 3 million fentanyl pills were seized in 2023, a 78 percent year-over-year increase, in the region that includes Colorado, Utah, Montana and Wyoming, according to Gianforte’s office.