INSIDER
Gov. Greg Abbott announces 80-acre base camp for Texas Military Department in Eagle Pass
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbott announces 80-acre base camp for Texas Military Department in Eagle PassTexas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that Eagle Pass will be home to a new 80-acre base camp for hundreds of personnel in the Texas Military Department in an effort to expand operations at the border.
US says Texas blocked border agents from entering park to try to save 3 migrants who drowned
Read full article: US says Texas blocked border agents from entering park to try to save 3 migrants who drownedThe U.S. Homeland Security Department says Texas denied federal agents access to a stretch of border when they were trying to rescue three migrants who drowned.
Texas strings concertina wire along New Mexico border to deter migrants
Read full article: Texas strings concertina wire along New Mexico border to deter migrantsGov. Greg Abbott said the barrier — two rows of wire strung between metal posts near Interstate 10 — was necessary because migrants are crossing the border at New Mexico and walking into El Paso.
Effort to fix payroll error for state National Guard troops falls short in Texas Senate
Read full article: Effort to fix payroll error for state National Guard troops falls short in Texas SenateThe mistake meant about 7,400 soldiers sent to the Texas-Mexico border under Operation Lone Star were hit with higher-than-expected federal income taxes.
Texas Military Department says it needs $460 million more to keep border mission afloat this year
Read full article: Texas Military Department says it needs $460 million more to keep border mission afloat this yearState officials have repeatedly had to move money from other departments to keep Gov. Greg Abbott’s multibillion-dollar border mission running this year.
Texas Guard to send tank-like military vehicles to the border
Read full article: Texas Guard to send tank-like military vehicles to the borderThis 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.
Operation Lone Star troops could owe feds tax money thanks to state’s payroll error
Read full article: Operation Lone Star troops could owe feds tax money thanks to state’s payroll errorOn Thursday, officials with the Texas Military Department acknowledged that the payroll system they used for the mission has withheld too little in federal taxes from service members’ paychecks.
Texas soldier who drowned trying to help migrants wasn’t equipped with flotation device
Read full article: Texas soldier who drowned trying to help migrants wasn’t equipped with flotation deviceSpc. Bishop Evans died after jumping into the Rio Grande to save migrants. He and other members of Operation Lone Star were not provided safety equipment. Texas Military Department said an order for buoys and ropes was made but has not been fulfilled.
Officials identify missing Texas Guardsman who tried to save drowning migrants
Read full article: Officials identify missing Texas Guardsman who tried to save drowning migrantsOfficials have identified a missing Texas National Guard Specialist who attempted to save two migrants from drowning in the Rio Grande on Friday.
National Guard soldier missing after trying to save two migrants in Rio Grande
Read full article: National Guard soldier missing after trying to save two migrants in Rio GrandeThe soldier, Bishop E. Evans, went missing Friday morning after he jumped into the river near Eagle Pass. On Sunday, the Texas Military Department reported the search was still ongoing.
Texas National Guard replaces commander overseeing Gov. Greg Abbott’s troubled border mission
Read full article: Texas National Guard replaces commander overseeing Gov. Greg Abbott’s troubled border missionThe brigadier general steps down from commanding Operation Lone Star’s military efforts after five months.
Collaborative effort at the border ahead of Title 42 ending
Read full article: Collaborative effort at the border ahead of Title 42 endingLess than a week after Governor Greg Abbott announced "aggressive action" at the border ahead of Title 42 ending, the busing of migrants has begun, as has mass migrant response rehearsals by the Texas Military Department.
Texas Guard’s border mission needs an additional $531 million to continue past this month, top general says
Read full article: Texas Guard’s border mission needs an additional $531 million to continue past this month, top general saysTexas Military Department leaders say they’ve addressed many of the issues that arose late last year when the mission ramped up to 10,000 service members — but more money is needed to run the mission at its current pace.
Deplorable conditions, unclear mission: Texas National Guard troops call Abbott’s rushed border operation a disaster
Read full article: Deplorable conditions, unclear mission: Texas National Guard troops call Abbott’s rushed border operation a disasterThe governor has sent waves of troops to the border as Guard officials scramble to execute a massive mobilization that would normally take months to plan. Some Guard members say the operation has set back their income, education and well-being.
Probe of Texas National Guard border mission demanded over suicide attempts, abysmal conditions and delayed pay
Read full article: Probe of Texas National Guard border mission demanded over suicide attempts, abysmal conditions and delayed payThe call for action from Texas Democrats comes as another service member based in the city of Pharr survived a suicide attempt on Sunday, according to an incident report obtained by Army Times and The Texas Tribune.
Gov. Greg Abbott says critics are ‘playing politics’ over Texas National Guard suicides
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbott says critics are ‘playing politics’ over Texas National Guard suicidesAbbott said the suicides are being investigated and thinks it will come out that not all “actually occurred during Operation Lone Star.”
Texas lawmakers deplore mistreatment of National Guardsmen sent to border duty
Read full article: Texas lawmakers deplore mistreatment of National Guardsmen sent to border dutyLegislative leaders overseeing the Texas Military Department say they are looking into reports of suicides, habitual pay problems and poor working conditions on Gov. Greg Abbott's highly touted border mission.
Allen West blasts Gov. Greg Abbott over suicides, pay problems among National Guardsmen at the border
Read full article: Allen West blasts Gov. Greg Abbott over suicides, pay problems among National Guardsmen at the borderAbbott’s political challenger said guard members deployed to Operation Lone Star are facing late pay, being exposed to COVID-19, experiencing supply shortages and dealing with added stress that has led to multiple suicides tied to the mission.
Texas National Guardsman dies while on COVID-19 mission in Laredo, officials say
Read full article: Texas National Guardsman dies while on COVID-19 mission in Laredo, officials sayA Texas National Guardsman from Bandera County died in his hotel room while on a COVID-19 response mission in Laredo, according to the Texas Military Department officials.
Texas National Guard soldier dies in training at Fort Hood
Read full article: Texas National Guard soldier dies in training at Fort HoodFORT HOOD, Texas A Texas Army National Guard soldier has died during a training exercise at Fort Hood, according to the Texas Military Department. Bradley Moore, 36, of Mansfield died Thursday during land navigation training according to a news release on the department's website. The military is a family, and the entire Texas National Guard mourns with Sgt. Moores loved ones left behind.At least four Fort Hood Army soldiers have been found dead near the base since June, including Spc. Investigators have said Guillen was killed by a fellow soldier and foul play is suspected in Morales' death.
Soldier with Texas Army National Guard dies while conducting training, officials say
Read full article: Soldier with Texas Army National Guard dies while conducting training, officials sayAUSTIN A soldier with the Texas Army National Guard died Thursday while conducting land navigation training at Fort Hood, according to the Texas Military Department. Bradley Moore, 36, of Mansfield, was a noncommissioned officer with the Texas Army National Guard, according to the departments release. The military is a family, and the entire Texas National Guard mourns with Sgt. The incident remains under investigation, according to the release. RELATED: Soldier found dead at Fort Sam Houston identified; death under investigation, officials say