A column in the Houston Chronicle today http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/casey/4387685.html (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/casey/4387685.html) discussed TX Governor Rick Perry and his views on border control. Apparently, sometime during the recent campaign he had a commercial in which he advocated:
Quote"authorizing the use of DPS state troopers, helicopters, SWAT teams, covert surveillance teams, canine units, game wardens and the Texas Civil Air Patrol to stop illegal activity on the border,"
Any of our TX folks see this?
The cameras have been up for months, the missions haven't. He's talking big for in-state politics, but what he's actually looking for is federal reimbursement, like the guard, that he can apply to a wider range of resources. He hasn't got it yet & we aren't flying.
In reality though, we've been flying the entire state border (coastal & rio) for Customs as an AFAM for as long as that mission has existed. The mission there is to report any suspicious activity so it can be investigated to see if drugs are involved. Reporting after oyu land is obviously worthless. Liaison or P25 radio & GPS makes that pretty effective. FLIR would be even better. That requires ICE to go along with it though & so far they're smart enough to stay out of politics.
My understanding is that 99% of illegal border crossings occur at night. Are CAP aircrews allowed to use thermal imaging and night vision equipment on these missions?
60-1 does allow for the use of night vision by scanners and observers who have been trained in its use, if they are using approved night vision devices. Now, what night vision devices are approved and how do you get the training? That's the part I haven't found yet. (Not real high priority on my list of stuff to do.)
They are looking at doing this for Texas and the Canadian Border. They are both in development committee. This is why they were going to do a 're-issue' of the Border Patrol Medal and Ribbon.
Can't speak for Texas, New Mexico or Arizona, but in California we have been flying the Mexican border for about as long as I have been CD cleared(11 or 12 years). We fly Friday, Sat and Sunday, wx permitting. Usually use three aircraft each flight. CAWG flew 1600 hours of this mission last FY.
http://www.caller.com/ccct/local_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_811_4813056,00.html (http://www.caller.com/ccct/local_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_811_4813056,00.html)
This link from the Corpus Christi Caller Times mentions CAP, back during the elections.
Quote from: bosshawk on December 15, 2006, 03:16:55 AM
Can't speak for Texas, New Mexico or Arizona, but in California we have been flying the Mexican border for about as long as I have been CD cleared(11 or 12 years). We fly Friday, Sat and Sunday, wx permitting. Usually use three aircraft each flight. CAWG flew 1600 hours of this mission last FY.
Same deal, that's what I was referring to them utilizing in the interm. I'd hesitate to go into detail about how we work our CN flights, but we have a long coastal & long cont border that gets flown very regularly.
The NVGs have to be types auth for airbone use & training by the manufacture or miltiary, all very expensive. I was under teh impression they were specifically NOT auth for CAP use though.
The CAP side group needs to chill on looking at border flying. It isn't going to happen at their paygrade. The question is a political & legal one, all of which has to be worked out w/o regard to CAP's minor part in it. If you want to speed that up, you do need to look into FLIR or something that would actually make this worthwhile, and make sure the planes involved are P25 capable.