WEBVTT 00:00.020 --> 00:01.720 - Thank you, Agent Himey, 00:01.720 --> 00:04.025 and good morning ladies and gentlemen. 00:04.025 --> 00:07.730 I'd like to welcome you here today to CPB and DoD's 00:07.730 --> 00:10.003 title 10 forces media engagement day. 00:11.290 --> 00:15.580 Today, we're very proud to show you some of what 00:15.580 --> 00:18.360 the Department of Defense is doing in support 00:18.360 --> 00:21.660 of our Customs and Border Protection partners 00:21.660 --> 00:23.680 that we've been working with for the past 00:23.680 --> 00:26.123 eight or nine months that we've been on this mission. 00:27.560 --> 00:30.790 As many of you know, we came on this mission 00:32.090 --> 00:35.990 in support of CPB along the southwest border 00:35.990 --> 00:38.170 in October of 2018. 00:38.170 --> 00:40.340 So, approximately nine months ago. 00:40.340 --> 00:44.180 Today, we have approximately 2,000 service members 00:45.170 --> 00:48.430 supporting the mission along the southwest border, 00:48.430 --> 00:51.673 and partnering up with our great CPB partners. 00:52.670 --> 00:56.570 We're here at CPB's request, make no mistake about it. 00:56.570 --> 01:00.250 CPB, Customs and Border Protection, is in the lead, 01:00.250 --> 01:01.280 we're in support. 01:01.280 --> 01:03.320 We really looked at ourselves 01:03.320 --> 01:06.050 as a force multiplier for them. 01:06.050 --> 01:09.150 And with the MSE mission, we're their eyes and ears 01:09.150 --> 01:12.630 from those MSE positions along the southwest border, 01:12.630 --> 01:15.383 and allowing them to conduct their mission. 01:17.640 --> 01:19.780 The Department of Defense, this is not new. 01:19.780 --> 01:22.880 We have a long history of support along the border, 01:22.880 --> 01:25.490 dating back to the 1990's. 01:25.490 --> 01:28.570 And we are very proud to be contributing to this very 01:28.570 --> 01:31.853 important and significant mission here today. 01:33.150 --> 01:36.970 And I'm from Ohio, and for me growing up, the southwest 01:36.970 --> 01:40.380 border was a faraway place that, frankly, I didn't know 01:40.380 --> 01:42.500 very much about it, until recently. 01:42.500 --> 01:45.510 Actually, as an adult, didn't know very much about it. 01:45.510 --> 01:49.970 But when I came into this role in February of 2019, 01:49.970 --> 01:52.250 obviously I got acquainted with it real fast. 01:52.250 --> 01:53.390 Second day, I was in the role, 01:53.390 --> 01:55.280 I was down here on the border. 01:55.280 --> 01:59.170 And what I've learned is our southwest border is big. 01:59.170 --> 02:03.170 We have a large border here, and it's complex, 02:03.170 --> 02:06.713 it's diverse, it's very challenging. 02:08.010 --> 02:11.350 The geography is tough in some places, it varies greatly 02:11.350 --> 02:15.550 from, you know, California in the west, all the way over 02:15.550 --> 02:19.550 here to the Texas sector in the east. 02:19.550 --> 02:22.810 But, I've also gained a huge amount of respect 02:22.810 --> 02:27.200 for the job that our partners in the Border Patrol do, 02:27.200 --> 02:31.723 day in and day out for security along this border here. 02:34.010 --> 02:35.720 And they've been doing that for a long time, 02:35.720 --> 02:38.030 since, I think, the 1920's. 02:38.030 --> 02:41.710 So, we're relative newcomers to this particular mission, 02:41.710 --> 02:44.780 but I can't tell you how much respect that I've gained 02:44.780 --> 02:46.480 for them as partners. 02:46.480 --> 02:48.794 And I know I've spoke to enough of our soldiers 02:48.794 --> 02:52.173 during my visits to know they all feel the same way. 02:54.050 --> 02:57.500 This border's big, but Border Security 02:57.500 --> 03:01.710 is also national security, and everything that I've seen 03:01.710 --> 03:05.230 the past 4 months, as I've done my circulation 03:05.230 --> 03:08.710 around the border, has done nothing but reinforce 03:09.750 --> 03:10.583 that. 03:12.320 --> 03:17.320 As we partner with Customs and Border Patrol, 03:17.540 --> 03:20.697 we're working always with DHS 03:20.697 --> 03:24.200 and CBP to continually assess and reassess 03:24.200 --> 03:26.650 the type of support we're providing. 03:26.650 --> 03:28.240 You know, we want to make sure 03:28.240 --> 03:30.660 that we've got the right support, the right units 03:30.660 --> 03:32.960 at the right place in the right time 03:32.960 --> 03:36.210 to provide the type of support that they're requesting, 03:36.210 --> 03:39.000 and it meets CPB's operational needs. 03:39.000 --> 03:42.260 And that's not an easy task, and a lot of due diligence 03:42.260 --> 03:45.700 and enhanced due diligence has gone into making sure 03:45.700 --> 03:48.010 that we've got the right units out here 03:48.010 --> 03:50.420 executing a certain type of mission. 03:50.420 --> 03:52.760 An example would be if it's an engineer type task, 03:52.760 --> 03:54.690 we have an engineer unit doing it. 03:54.690 --> 03:56.350 If it's an aviation type task, 03:56.350 --> 03:59.233 we have an aviation unit doing it, etc. 04:00.840 --> 04:02.730 The results of that type of planning, 04:02.730 --> 04:05.170 and that type of analysis, though, 04:05.170 --> 04:08.623 have been significant across the past nine months. 04:09.490 --> 04:12.400 In the last nine months, DoD, the title 10 forces, 04:12.400 --> 04:16.650 have supported CPB by participating in the hardening 04:16.650 --> 04:20.800 of 36 points of entries, or ports of entry, 04:20.800 --> 04:24.440 placing 670 miles of concertina wire 04:24.440 --> 04:28.293 to protect approximately 180 miles of border. 04:29.410 --> 04:32.490 Providing aerial, engineer, medical, 04:32.490 --> 04:35.053 and military police support. 04:36.250 --> 04:39.040 We have a crisis response force, currently, 04:39.040 --> 04:41.540 that provides additional assistance 04:41.540 --> 04:44.790 to CBP on a 48 hour notice. 04:44.790 --> 04:47.630 And, what we're here to see today, we're currently manning 04:47.630 --> 04:51.900 approximately 150 mobile surveillance camera vehicles 04:51.900 --> 04:55.833 at various strategic sites along the southwest border. 05:00.850 --> 05:03.410 In that mission set, the MSE mission set, 05:03.410 --> 05:06.500 we have about 1,200 service members, 05:06.500 --> 05:09.510 soldiers, and U.S. marines, dedicated 05:09.510 --> 05:11.860 to that part of the mission, serving at approximately 05:11.860 --> 05:15.270 150 of these sites along the border in California, 05:15.270 --> 05:17.423 Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. 05:18.410 --> 05:21.770 These sites are strategic sites that provide observation 05:21.770 --> 05:25.090 over known avenues of approach to our border. 05:25.090 --> 05:28.990 And, to date, our soldiers and marines have contributed 05:28.990 --> 05:32.840 greatly, in this MSE mission, and assisted CBP 05:33.958 --> 05:38.170 in over 13,000 apprehensions, and the seizure of over 05:38.170 --> 05:39.970 3,000 pounds 05:39.970 --> 05:40.853 of marijuana. 05:42.030 --> 05:44.180 And our soldiers are very proud of that. 05:44.180 --> 05:46.690 They're very proud of that contribution 05:46.690 --> 05:48.700 that they've been able to make here. 05:48.700 --> 05:50.210 And the mission that the soldiers are conducting, 05:50.210 --> 05:53.840 now this is a standard "observe and report" mission 05:53.840 --> 05:56.870 that our soldiers and marines are conducting. 05:56.870 --> 05:58.460 And that's a basic military task, 05:58.460 --> 05:59.730 and one that they're well-suited for. 05:59.730 --> 06:02.330 We expect any member of the service to be able 06:02.330 --> 06:04.360 to conduct basic "observe and report". 06:04.360 --> 06:06.670 See something, and report it, 06:06.670 --> 06:10.540 accurately, effectively, consistently correct. 06:10.540 --> 06:13.300 And I've received lots of feedback from our Border Patrol 06:13.300 --> 06:16.080 partners about the success that we've had, 06:16.080 --> 06:17.980 and that our soldiers and marines have caught on to this 06:17.980 --> 06:20.040 very quickly, and they're actually quite good at that. 06:20.040 --> 06:22.550 And that's always great to hear, 06:22.550 --> 06:24.300 because we're here to support them. 06:25.530 --> 06:28.540 And their feedback to us about how we're getting after it 06:28.540 --> 06:33.063 is very important to us as we go about these duties. 06:34.690 --> 06:36.380 Today, you're going to have an opportunity to meet 06:36.380 --> 06:38.270 with some of the leaders, and some of the chain of command 06:38.270 --> 06:41.600 from our mission, from one of our units that's conducting 06:41.600 --> 06:44.480 this mission here today, and the soldiers as well as, 06:44.480 --> 06:48.120 see some of the CBP equipment that is behind us 06:48.120 --> 06:50.053 that we're currently using. 06:51.030 --> 06:53.450 But, I'd like to share with you that 06:55.320 --> 06:57.263 I'm a veteran of three combat tours. 06:59.190 --> 07:01.810 I've seen soldiers and marines conducting lots of missions 07:01.810 --> 07:03.000 in lots of different places. 07:03.000 --> 07:06.140 But, I'm just as proud of what our soldiers and marines 07:06.140 --> 07:09.160 are doing here, in this mission set, 07:09.160 --> 07:11.750 the impact that they're having on the day-to-day basis, 07:11.750 --> 07:14.630 and the partnership, the great partnership, 07:14.630 --> 07:16.870 that we have established with CBP, 07:16.870 --> 07:19.060 as any mission that I've ever been involved in 07:19.060 --> 07:20.600 in 29+ years 07:21.600 --> 07:23.010 in the army. 07:23.010 --> 07:26.000 So, with that, I'd like to turn 07:26.000 --> 07:26.833 over, 07:26.833 --> 07:29.100 I think we're gonna get a chance to go take a look 07:29.100 --> 07:31.180 at some of the equipment, get some hands on, 07:31.180 --> 07:33.017 talk to the chain of the command that's here, 07:33.017 --> 07:36.830 and the soldiers, as well as the CBP representatives, 07:36.830 --> 07:39.740 and so I'd like to turn it over to the team at this time. 07:39.740 --> 07:40.573 Thank you.