Texas Guard to send tank-like military vehicles to the border

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Texas Tribune/Military Times

A document obtained by The Texas Tribune and Army Times shows that the Vietnam-era M113 armored personnel carriers will be sent to 10 locations along the Texas-Mexico border.

BY DAVIS WINKIE, MILITARY TIMES, AND WILLIAM MELHADO, THE TEXAS TRIBUNE NOV. 18, 2022UPDATED: 6:23 PM CENTRAL



A U.S. Army soldier assigned to the Connecticut Army National Guard operates an M113 armored personnel carrier at Stones Ranch Military Reservation. The Texas Military Department plans to send M113s to the Texas-Mexico border. Credit: Sgt. Matthew Lucibello/U.S. Army National Guard, 130th Public Affairs Detachment

This article is co-published and co-reported with Military Times, an independent news organization reporting on issues important to the U.S. military. Sign up for its daily Early Bird Brief newsletter here.

Three days after Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted a legally dubious invocation of the “invasion clause” of the U.S. and Texas constitutions over the high number of migrant encounters at the Texas-Mexico border, his border mission is set to include armored personnel carriers designed to carry troops into battle alongside tanks, according to a planning document obtained by Army Times and The Texas Tribune.

The order issued Thursday by Texas Military Department officials to the headquarters overseeing Operation Lone Star reveals that the National Guard will soon deploy 10 M113 armored personnel carrier vehicles to the border.

According to the order, around 50 soldiers will be trained to operate the vehicles, and state officials will identify 10 positions to station them along the border.

The Texas Military Department said in a written statement Friday that in addition to the 10 armored vehicles, the Texas National Guard is increasing “aircraft flights and security efforts” on the border.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2022/11/18/texas-border-military-armored-vehicles-operation-lone-star/

[onecaliberal]

1. How many Texas families are food insecure right now while these fucking howler monkeys are

Blowing their tax dollars on these crimes against humanity. These are crimes against humanity.

[Evolve Dammit]

2. What could go wrong General Abbott? CRUSH them with tanks. Yeah, that'll work...

[Marthe48]

3. and the civilians are armed with what?

What makes the tx despots doing this any better than putin invading Ukraine? Nothing.

[Solly Mack]

4. K&R

[usonian]

5. If I were a thief, I'd be headed for Texas right now.

Cops? They're all at the border.
Oklahoma ready to invade behind the lines?

[Ray Bruns]

6. And exactly what are these ancient personnel carriers going to do in the middle of nowhere?

Make donuts in the desert?

[AverageOldGuy]

9. Exactly.

This is nothing but a stunt.

I'm an old soldier with 28 years in uniform, a tour in the bush in Vietnam. We old soldiers have a saying: "Amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics." This is as amateurish as it gets.

"According to the order, around 50 soldiers will be trained to operate the vehicles, . . ." So the Texas Guard does not have anyone qualified to operate the APCs?

What about the logistics:
-- fuel, specialized lubricants
-- spare parts
-- trained mechanics
-- recovery vehicles to pull them out when they get stuck in the mud
-- upper-echelon repair facilities for replacing engines, transmissions, track

This is nothing but a show so Abbot can claim to "own the libs".

[XorXor]

24. It's all just a wasteful useless show for the base

Ask any Trumper (or whatever they are now) what they think about this, and they say how awesome they think it is. Further ask them why it makes sense to use heavy fuel hungry military APCs on the US-Mexico border, and you can be certain they won't have anything close to a sensible answer. Then if you try to explain the issue with it, they will happily ignore everything you say.

I'm certain this is going to happen to me over the next week when/if this topic is brought up.

[McKim]

53. This is like a giant.....

This is like a giant stock car race only with government money. Great entertainment for the MAGAS……..Gets the testosterone pumping just like a war! Border Patrol is full of vets who were used to ruing in the Middle East from their tanks, only this time their victims are asylum and job seekers.

[Grins]

25. Yup!

What are they going to do with them?

I think I know! Give them rides to reception stations!

[carpetbagger]

49. Exactly what the state highway patrol and national guard do...

I live in South Texas and frequently visit the border areas.

They don't make donuts. They buy donuts in the nearby towns (I'm serious, the gas stations and panaderias are really crowded) then hang out on the side of the main highways, not really doing anything, just sitting in their cars all day.

[SlimJimmy]

54. But, but, but the article says they're tanks.

For those of us old enough, they are very lightly armored personnel carriers, which the US military decommissioned years and years ago.

[RainCaster]

7. Do these have air conditioning?

Asking for a despot

[James48]

10. I've never seen an M-113 with air conditioning.

But then again, I retired from the Army twenty years ago, and we had phased out almost all M-113’s years earlier.

They can drive around over pretty much any terrain, but yeah, they are going to break, and you’re gonna need about a dozen mechanics alone to keep ten M-113’s fully functional, even if you do have the parts.

[kairos12]

22. I spent 5 years in these.

Definitely no AC.

[twodogsbarking]

28. Did it smell like pee in there?

[James48]

11. I've never seen an M-113 with air conditioning.

But then again, I retired from the Army twenty years ago, and we had phased out almost all M-113’s years earlier.

They can drive around over pretty much any terrain, but yeah, they are going to break, and you’re gonna need about a dozen mechanics alone to keep ten M-113’s fully functional, even if you do have the parts.

[LeftInTX]

17. It's been cold again. LOL

I'm sure they will be gone as soon as it hits 70 degrees or so, which will probably be next week.

[Oneironaut]

18. I doubt it. Only Modern Battle Tanks have them now, and, not for the crew.

They are implemented to keep internal electronics cool. The interior of these is hot as heck.

[sarisataka]

19. Open the hatch

That's your air-conditioning

[bahboo]

8. Welcome to America...

jesus christ....

[Ford_Prefect]

12. They generate enormous environmental damage in arid and desert areas off road, and unregulated

diesel exhaust spews into the local air.

In addition they get horrible fuel mileage compared to a pickup truck: 3 mpg average.

[LuvLoogie]

13. Greg Abbott: Mall Cop

Looks like a tactical good will clothes bin

[hay rick]

14. Whoa! Top this DeSantis!

I can't wait.

[thomski64]

26. ...apprehend asylum seekers.

...drive them to Martha's Vineyard??

[BOSSHOG]

15. Is this a big dick moment for Abbott?

I’m sure his supporters will be impressed. Can we expect desantis to strafe Georgia using the state air national guard? McCarthy will threaten to sue immigrants. Retired gohmert will disparage their asparagus. All nominees for the magat hall of shame. All well qualified. So sad for our country.

[hay rick]

29. Maybe Nancy Pelosi can dispatch her gazpacho to the border.

I'm very hopeful.

[LeftInTX]

16. WTF?? What is he going to do with those?

Border stuff is "light foot". This is WTF???
What a dog and pony show!

[LudwigPastorius]

20. Get fucked, Greg Abbott.

So glad you're spending money on this instead of...oh, I don't know...expanding MEDICAID!

[Kennah]

21. Texas shares over 1,200 miles of border with Mexico so there's no way people can avoid these APCs

[XorXor]

23. Aside from the questionable legality of this, this is extremely wasteful

Those things are using up far more fuel than a SUV or pick-up, and they are basically useless for anything other than putting on a show in this use case. Why are republicans so damn stupid?

[onetexan]

27. Political theater at the expense of Texans & our national guard

Shameful 😡

[childfreebychoice]

30. Why can't/doesn't mexico secure their own southern borders

We sure give them enuf aid

[carpetbagger]

50. They apprehended 300,000 migrants last year

The crisis in Central America is quite massive. US foreign aid is about 300M to the whole region (MX and Central America) for all purposes. I'm sure people think that's enough or too much, but it's not enough to make more than a dent in what are accelerating political, security, and environmental problems in the region. The short answer is that many more people are fleeing for their lives. That 300k number is far higher than previous years.

[moonshinegnomie]

31. Exactly what are the going to do with these????

I’ve been to the border several times. Those vehicles are useless there. It’s not like migrants are shooting back. All they are going to do is needlessly waste gas

[The Jungle 1]

32. That is not a Christian response.

[dembotoz]

41. in my opinion christ left the gop decades ago....

Maybe ike and possible ford....

Christianity pretty much shaped me as a dem.
Was never one to go all evangelical and testify to anyone.
More of a let them see how i live and act sort of thing.

I see the christians today and i do not see christ living in them.
they embarrass me

[The Jungle 1]

46. I am going to put this out there.

Please do not take offence.
You and I and every generation of Christians has the responsibility to identify and correct heresy.
I do try and I encourage you to participate. I am not saying to get in peoples face.
What you posted is powerful.

[dembotoz]

47. starting too

trying to be gentle but i can go full asshole pretty damn quick
they go off on me and i go off on them

[bluestarone]

33. The Texans that voted for these crazy fucking assholes, are

CRAZY FUCKING ASSHOLES!!

[chriscan64]

34. What counts as a metric for success with this stunt?

Who is the target audience, the voters who already re-elected him? What happens when they or the migrants figure out that this only looks like a tank? Its effectiveness will be that of a really slow SUV. The armor is overkill in light of the fact that the migrants are unarmed and weak from exposure, hunger and exhaustion and not going to attack their vehicles anyway.

I cannot imagine how anyone on any side of the immigration debate sees this as anything but cheap theatre. One side will clamor for humanity, the other for real tanks.

[XorXor]

40. Agreed. Although, I'd call it expensive wasteful theater.

[chriscan64]

42. Yes, expensive.

My use of cheap was about the quality as in Puppet Show featuring Spinal Tap.

[malthaussen]

35. "Tank-like," lol

Maybe to a civilian -- or someone wanting to sensationalize a headline.

-- Mal

[XorXor]

38. Should have said armored vehicle. That would get the point across

While sparing them of any claims of hyperbolic language.

[malthaussen]

36. "around 50 soldiers will be trained to operate the vehicles..."

... ie, the things are so obsolete, nobody knows how to drive or repair them. Good luck with that.

I've been waiting for Putin to start deploying T-34s against Ukraine: this is almost as stupid.

-- Mal

[XorXor]

39. We sent a bunch of these to Ukraine recently.

Not sure how they are using them there. I'd imagine they are staying pretty far away from the front I don't think I've seen any videos of them that were not some variant with an auto cannon installed. I thinks came from one of the smaller European countries

[hunter]

37. There's no more cowardly creature than a Texas Republican.

I feel bad for National Guard. You sign up to defend your nation and these clowns use you as a stage prop in a low budget television reality show.

[sloopdog50]

43. Cost

Who the hell is paying for this? I do not want my tax dollars supporting Texas' efforts to be the King of the Border. These vehicles left the inventory decades ago, parts are non-existent, qualified drivers are few. This is like a monkey with a football...Texas shouldn't get this without their paying all the freight...no Federal dollars!

[not fooled]

45. The voters of Texas, presumably

pay unless Abbut can grift money off some Federal program.

Too bad only those morans who just voted for Abbut can't be assessed a special "Border Theatrics" tax.

Just amazing that this is a viable political strategy anywhere in the U.S. Lack of common sense, apparently.

[malthaussen]

44. Around 80,000 built total, Mr Google tells me...

... so there should be a few lying around from which spare parts can be cannibalized.

-- Mal

[BidenRocks]

48. Texas BBQ sucks too.

I've had better in Memphis, KC and the Carolinas.
Please secede!

[COL Mustard]

51. These M113s are NOT tanks. They are armored personnel carriers. That said...

I would love to know what their operational readiness rate will be after a few days/weeks of use. These are very old technology (I learned to drive one in the late 1970s) and they're likely to break down. We have a lot of them in storage and have given some to Ukraine but they don't have much of a purpose here except for being able to go over rough terrain.

It's all about the intimidation.

[republianmushroom]

52. Damn, those woman with babies in arms sure do scare republicans

[mahina]

55. Theater.

Nothing more but the expense.