{"id":47901,"date":"2018-04-07T14:11:39","date_gmt":"2018-04-07T14:11:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/04\/07\/national-guard-troops-head-to-the-border-paid-for-by-the-pentagon\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:49:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:49:15","slug":"national-guard-troops-head-to-the-border-paid-for-by-the-pentagon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2018\/04\/07\/national-guard-troops-head-to-the-border-paid-for-by-the-pentagon\/","title":{"rendered":"National Guard troops head to the border, paid for by the Pentagon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As many as 4,000 National Guard personnel will be headed to the U.S.-Mexico border, paid for by the federal government, the Associated Press reported Friday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis approved the use of Defense Department funds<\/a> to pay for the troops to perform border security operations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTonight, National Guard troops are deploying to support border security missions along the U.S. southwest border,\u201d Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in a joint statement released Friday evening. \u201cWorking closely with the border governors, the Department of Homeland Security identified security vulnerabilities that could be addressed by the National Guard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t