Members of Task Force Indiana listen to Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb give a speech during a departure ceremony for the task force at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center in Edinburgh Thursday. Task Force Indiana is being deployed to southern Texas to support the Texas National Guard in Operation Lone Star.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic
The migrant crisis unfolding at the border in southern Texas is more than 1,400 miles away from central Indiana.
But the surge of people crossing into the United States from Mexico is a national emergency — one that impacts local communities every day. Illicit drug smuggling, human trafficking and national security concerns have spread as the border has been overwhelmed.
The Indiana National Guard will be part of the force addressing the problem.
For the next 10 months, members of the National Guard known as Task Force Indiana will be part of the continuing efforts to secure the border. They have been assigned to assist the Texas National Guard and the Texas Department of Public Safety in handling security and humanitarian missions in the El Paso area.
“Unfortunately, our adversaries and competitors see the current security environment along our border as an opportunity to advance their objectives — to displace America as the leader of the free world, pursuing doctrines counter to our belief in the right to pursue happiness, prosperity and freedom,” said Maj. Gen. Dale Lyles, Indiana’s adjutant general.
About 50 National Guard soldiers and airmen who stepped forward to serve in the mission were honored by local, state and National Guard officials Thursday during a departure ceremony at Camp Atterbury.
Their service, and the sacrifice made by their families, employers and supporters back home, exemplify the lengths Indiana is prepared to go to protect the border and nation, officials said at the ceremony.
“Hoosiers are proving once again, if the federal government at large can’t get their act together on the border, we will. You will,” said Gov. Eric Holcomb during the event.
Inside the Virtual Simulation Facility at Camp Atterbury, the 50 Indiana National Guard troops chosen for the mission sat on bleachers facing the audience.
Family members filled the space — spouses, children, siblings and parents. They snapped photos of their loved ones and waved from their seats, trying to catch the troops’ eyes.
Those gathered knew that their loved ones would be gone for nearly a year on the southern border. An atmosphere of appreciation pervaded the ceremony.
“To the family, friends, employers and supporters who graciously share their time with us today, we cannot thank you enough for your unending support of our soldiers,” said Col. Shawn Eaken, commander of the 76th IBCT for the Indiana National Guard.
The Indiana National Guard would be one of multiple state National Guard units providing support for Operation Lone Star. The operation was launched by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in 2021 in response to the rise in illegal crossings at the border.
The mission will cost the Indiana National Guard about $7.1 million, including pay and allowances, accommodations, transportation, supplies and maintenance, according to Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry, spokesperson for the Indiana National Guard.
In February, Holcomb announced he would be deploying the Indiana National Guard to support the ongoing border security mission in Texas.
“Federal negligence enforcing immigration law and the failure to secure our country’s border jeopardizes national and economic security, affecting every state, including Indiana,” Holcomb said in a Feb. 9 press release. “We’ve worked too hard in Indiana attacking the drug epidemic for more Hoosier lives to be put at risk by a constant supply of killer drugs spilled over an open U.S. border. The only way to resolve this is to stop the historically high flow of illegal immigrants crossing the border.”
Holcomb stressed the importance of securing the border again during Thursday’s ceremony. He highlighted the toll illegal drugs, including fentanyl, are having on overdose deaths throughout Indiana.
Making progress on the issue locally is difficult if nothing is done to stem the drugs from coming into the country in the first place, Holcomb said.
“There is a correlation between the record-high overdose rate, there is a correlation between the fentanyl that is making its way across the southern border,” he said. “So, while we deal with those effects, by you going to the front line, this is going to make a difference on so many levels. That’s what you’re stepping up to address for us, and for your neighbors.”
Lyles showed his gratitude for Holcomb’s support and decision to deploy Indiana National Guard troops to provide that security.
“We are so fortunate to have a true leader like Gov. Holcomb, a governor who sincerely and genuinely cares about the safety, the security, the welfare and prosperity of all Hoosiers,” he said. “Deploying the National Guard is not an easy decision, and it’s not a decision he took lightly.”
Indiana National Guard troops have spent weeks preparing for the mission, including a week-long training at Camp Atterbury in March. They went through intensive Spanish language and culture courses, and took drug awareness training, including properly handling dangerous narcotics such as fentanyl.
Instruction also included studying the cartel operations in the El Paso area.
“I can tell you, the soldiers and airmen assembled here today are indeed ready to deploy forward and assume watch along the Texas-Mexico border and help stop the trans-national criminal organizations exploiting weaknesses along the border to advance their illegal objectives and undermine the American society we all enjoy each and every day,” Lyles said.
Indiana National Guard members taking part in Operation Lone Star will depart for Texas early next week. As the departure ceremony came to a close, Lyles wished them well, and again thanked them for their service.
“You’re about to embark on a great crusade for the cause of liberty. The eyes of the world are upon you. Hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere are deploying with you,” Lyles said.
