{"id":51659,"date":"2023-02-16T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-16T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/02\/16\/a-year-on-pentagons-border-mission-investigation-still-missing\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:11:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:11:00","slug":"a-year-on-pentagons-border-mission-investigation-still-missing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2023\/02\/16\/a-year-on-pentagons-border-mission-investigation-still-missing\/","title":{"rendered":"A year on, Pentagon\u2019s border mission investigation still missing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

More than a year after a major investigation into the National Guard\u2019s federally controlled mission at the U.S.-Mexico border began, neither U.S. Northern Command nor Defense Department leaders can say when its findings will be released.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weeks after a December 2021 Military Times investigation revealed systemic and organizational issues with the mission throughout fiscal 2021, NORTHCOM announced an internal administrative investigation into a \u201cwide range of alleged issues<\/a>\u201d there. The federally-controlled border mission, requested by the Department of Homeland Security and run by Joint Task Force-North, then consisted of an estimated 3,000 Guard troops stitched together from nearly three dozen units mobilized piecemeal from 20 states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The border force, known as Task Force Phoenix, experienced issues with alcohol and drug abuse that were compounded by command-and-control issues stemming from a hastily-assembled organizational structure. At least one cavalry troop operating in south Texas temporarily disbanded due to leadership problems, and an understrength battalion-level headquarters there needed additional manpower to control its more than 1,000 troops. Three died there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

National Guard troops mobilized under the Pentagon\u2019s authority can provide only limited support to Border Patrol personnel due to legal restrictions on using federal troops for law enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\t