1,200 troops to guard border . . . soon

National Guard troops will head to the U.S.-Mexican border Aug. 1 for a yearlong deployment to keep a lookout for illegal border crossers and smugglers and help in criminal investigations, federal officials said Monday.

The troops will be armed but can use their weapons only to protect themselves . . . will undergo initial training and be fully deployed along the nearly 2,000-mile southern border by September.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38310914/ns/us_news-security/

The troops will get there in August, they'll be trained for at least one month, they can only use their weapons defensively, and they'll actually start patrolling no earlier than September - - 1200 troops guarding 2000 miles.

If you figure that no more than 25% of the troops are actually on duty at any one time, and that the troops will be deployed in teams, that's a maximum of 300 troops in a maximum of 150 teams covering 2000 miles at any one time, which makes this an unarmed insufficient border patrol.

Of course, this is way more expensive and far less effective than a wall . . . a wall just like those surrounding the gated communities and security accessed condos where administration and elected officials live.