The Donnelly Dispatch: May 2012

In Memoriam
Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry

As many of you have heard, The United States Senate passed a resolution, long overdue, that would honor the heroic life and ultimate sacrifice that border patrol agent, Brian A. Terry made in 2010 when he was killed on the border, in the line of duty.

Even more tragic, was that the bullet that prematurely ended this valiant Patriot's life was fired from a gun provided to Mexican drug cartel thugs by the United States government in a process known as "gunwalking". This recognition is the least we can do in the light of such a dereliction of duty by the Department of Justice and the misguided attempt of the "Fast and Furious" program. His death is a symbol of the government's betrayal of the people as they refuse to enforce the simplest of immigration and border protection laws while they allow these incredibly powerful weapons, such as the one used to senselessly murder Agent Terry, to fall into enemy hands. Not one single elected official has been held accountable for this tragedy and although the passage of this act is a step in the right direction, Agent Brian Terry's legacy will not be properly honored until those responsible are brought to justice.

As Memorial Day draws closer, we are reminded of the supreme sacrifice that so many of our service men and women, including Agent Terry, and we must strive to be worthy of that sacrifice made in our honor.

Honoring Those Who Serve

Remembering Sgt. Brian L. Walker

On Friday, Assemblyman Donnelly adjourned in the memory of Sgt. Brian L. Walker. Sgt. Walker, from Lucerne Valley, was only 25 years old and on his 2nd deployment. He was the commander of his vehicle when it was destroyed by an IED, killing him and one other member of his  team. He is survived by his wife, Ashley Walker, who is also serving in the armed forces and immediate family. A memorial service will be held on June 2nd at Crossroads Chapel Foursquare Church in Lucerne Valley. During this Memorial Day weekend, please keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers. 

The Repeal of the Fire Fee

AB 1506 Dies in Committee

Today in the Appropriations committee, AB 1506, the repeal of the fire fee, was killed. Committee Democrats used a procedural maneuver and held the bill in committee on the deadline for all bills to pass that committee. They effectively killed the bill without ever having to vote on it, allowing the illegal fire fee to move forward without any discourse. The fire fee, actually an illegal tax, was passed without the 2/3's vote required by Prop. 26. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayer's Association has vowed to file a lawsuit on those and other grounds once the tax bill has been sent to homeowners.

In the District

Desert Valley Hospital Expansion

In the middle of one of the toughest economies facing our nation, it is great to be able to celebrate the expansion of one of the top rated health care facilities in our area, Desert Valley Hospital in Victorville. Assemblyman Donnelly attended the ribbon cutting along with Drs. Prem Reddy and Margaret Peterson as well as Mayor MacEacheron, Congressman Buck McKeon, and Hesperia City Councilman "Smitty" Smith. He also had the honor of presenting a Joint Resolution commemorating the occasion to Dr. Reddy during the celebration and helping to open the doors to a new level of cardiac care in the region.

DOD Takes Southern Border Support to Air

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

 

WASHINGTON  – Defense Department and National Guard support to southwest U.S. border security will change in the next few months from a ground effort to primarily air, Defense and Homeland Security officials said today.

 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the lead federal agency charged with defending the southwest U.S border with Mexico, but the Defense Department, specifically the National Guard, works closely in support of the effort, and has since 2010.

 

But the mission has changed, said Paul Stockton, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and Americas’ security affairs. Customs, he said, has beefed up its manpower and technical abilities and no longer needs the numbers of National Guard personnel on the ground.

 

“CBP has changed the kind of support that it is asking the Department of Defense to provide,” he said, “and DOD is transitioning to much more effective support … that not only matches up to what CBP needs, but provides more flexibility against an adaptive adversary.”

 

The border is better protected because of the cooperative relationship between defense and homeland security, said David Aguilar, the Customs and Border Protection agency’s deputy commissioner.

 

“Over the last year, we had over 1,200 National Guard representatives on the line with us,” Aguilar said. Under the new system, he said, fewer than 300 Guardsmen are needed.

 

The Guardsmen worked with border police to man entry identification teams. These are fixed positions and were what was required at the time. But times change, and now the Border Patrol requires aerial platforms to provide intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and mobility ability.

 

This mission will begin around the first of the year and completely transition by March, Aguilar said.

 

“There will be a ramp down of the static [entry identification teams] and the boots on the ground related to those [teams], but a ramp-up on the aerial support and platforms,” he said.

 

Border Patrol Chief Michael Fisher said the patrol has grown to 21,450 officers. The aviation assets will focus at first on detection and monitoring capabilities, he said. Guardsmen will fly specially equipped OH-58 and UH-72 helicopters with a detection radius of 6 and 12 nautical miles, respectively. In addition, Guardsmen will fly RC-26 fixed-wing aircraft with detection and monitoring capability of 12 nautical miles.

 

Such capability will enable the Border Patrol to work in more challenging terrain and give the patrol a faster reaction time to prevent illegal activities. These airborne assets will be able to look way over the horizon of a person on the ground and be able to flow personnel into an area.

 

Defense officials will continue to work with Customs and Border Protection officials to figure the mix of aircraft and capabilities and where the aircraft and ground stations will be.

 

The new National Guard mission will end Dec. 31, 2012, officials said.