National Guard mission on US-Mexico border ‘has no military training value’, chief warns

The outgoing head of the National Guard warned that sending troops to the southern border has “no military training value” and could harm military readiness.

Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, testified before a Senate appropriation budget defense subcommittee hearing Tuesday. He said there are about 2,500 National Guardsmen on the southern border serving under U.S. Northern Command, while criticizing the stationing of troops there.

“As I also expressed inside the building, there is no value of military training to what we do. This is a law enforcement mission under the Department of Homeland Security,” he said.

The Biden and Trump administrations authorized National Guard troops to assist U.S. Customs and Border Protection with border security. Hokanson’s testimony comes as President Biden has taken steps in recent weeks to reduce the number of migrants entering the US.

Biden has also been criticized from both sides of the aisle for his executive action at the border. Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who pressed Hokanson on the current deployment of National Guard troops to the southern border, said “things have gotten worse because of the administration’s failed border policies.”

Hokanson said National Guard troops on the border are not participating in training directly applicable to their skills.

“I know we are providing additional support there. But for our guards there, they could very well be sent to Kuwait or somewhere overseas because they are away from their families,” Hokanson said.

“They are there performing mission sets that are not directly applicable to their military skill set. And so, your personal operational rhythm increases. And I think this time would be better spent building readiness to deter our adversaries,” he added.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story