Operation ENDURING BOREDOM

[RHMerriman]

Great story from Mother Jones laying out the realities of the operational situation at the US-Mexico border.

[link:http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/11/operation-enduring-boredom-what-troops-will-actually-face-when-caravan-members-eventually-arrive/|

Trump's orders will be dragging these soldiers away from their families at Thanksgiving and from training for their next actual deployment over the winter.

If it weren't so sad, it would be fucking comical.

What if you had an "invasion" and nobody came?

[BigmanPigman]

1. I heard that a real concern is that the Minutemen will steal equipment

when they go to the border to "help". Apparently they have a history of this type of behavior. THAT is the only crime that anyone expects to happen at the border.

[RHMerriman]

2. It's basically theater-level logistics support, coupled with a media relations exercise.

It's basically theater-level logistics support...Take a look at the unit list:

[link:http://www.stripes.com/trump-might-send-up-to-15k-troops-to-us-mexico-border-1.554452|]

A brigade/group-level logistics headquarters, two logistics battalion headquarters, and ~nine logistics companies and some smaller detachments; two engineer battalion headquarters and six engineer companies; an aviation brigade headquarters and one aviation battalion (UH-60 helicopters); a military police brigade (headquarters and presumably at least one MP battalion, perhaps two) and 4-5 companies; a couple of medical companies; and a couple of companies of media/public affairs personnel.

It's not a stunt, but Operation OVERLORD it is not... it's basically logistics support for the federal law enforcement presence on the border, and a media relations exercise.

Logistics units
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
90th Human Resources Company, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, Fort Stewart, Ga.
Defense Logistics Agency Contingency Contracting Team, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas
4th Expeditionary Sustainment Command Assessment Team, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas
289th Quartermaster Company, 553rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas
887th Engineer Support Company, 101st Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade, Fort Campbell, Ky.
372nd Inland Cargo Transfer Company, 129th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 101st Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade, Fort Campbell, Ky.
74th Transportation Company, 129th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 101st Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade, Fort Campbell, Ky.
29th Movement Control Team, Fort Bragg, N.C.
403rd Inland Cargo Transfer Company, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Engineer units
Headquarters, 62nd Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas
87th Engineer Sapper Company, 555th Engineer Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
937th Engineer Sapper Company, 8th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas
104th Engineer Construction Company, 62nd Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas
Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 19th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade, Fort Knox, Ky.
15th Engineer Company, 19th Engineer Battalion, Fort Knox, Ky.
541st Engineer Sapper Company, 19th Engineer Battalion, Fort Knox, Ky.
41st Engineer Company, 4th Engineer, Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade , Fort Riley, Kan.
Joint Enabling Capability Team, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.

Aviation units
2nd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
3rd Combat Aviation Brigade Headquarters, 3rd Infantry Division, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.
Aviation Planning from U.S. Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.

Military Police units
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 16th Military Police Brigade, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 503rd, Military Police Battalion, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 505th Military Intelligence Brigade, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas
89th Military Police Brigade, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas
Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 97th Military Police Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
977th Military Police Company Combat Support, Fort Riley, Kan.
287th Military Police Company Combat Support, Fort Riley, Kan.

Medical units
51st Medical Company, 28th Combat Support Hospital, Fort Bragg, N.C.
172nd Preventative Medicine, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Public affairs and media production units:
Joint Public Support Element-Public Affairs, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
55th Signal Company-Combat Camera, Fort Meade, Md.
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, I Corps, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
1st Combat Camera Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
24th Press Camp Headquarters, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas