Representative Watson: We Do Not Need to Militarize Our Borders

Dispatching troops to patrol the border is bad policy because the U.S. military is already overused and under-equipped. It’s not just my opinion. It’s also the assessment of General Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, who stated in a recently leaked classified report that the President has already overextended U.S. forces in the Middle East. The National Guard, which would undoubtedly be charged with handling a large part of the new border security portfolio, is stretched thin as well. Not only is the Guard extended to the breaking point, but Guard units deployed to Iraq have consistently reported shortages of equipment and lack of proper training. Many National Guard units here at home suffer the same fate.