Mattis heading to southwest border

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will travel to Texas tomorrow to meet with troops deployed along the southwest border, according to a statement from the Pentagon.

The Pentagon has plans to send to the border 7,000 troops, which President Trump ordered deployed shortly before the midterm elections to help stop a migrant “caravan” that was weeks away from reaching the United States. Trump, who called the situation an “invasion,” has indicated he would send as many as 15,000 troops.

On Wednesday, Mattis will embark on a one-day trip that includes stops in McAllen, TX, and F.E. Warren Air Force Base, WY.

“In Texas, Secretary Mattis will meet with service members currently deployed in support of the southwest border mission,” according to the Pentagon.The controversial order has drawn skepticism, opposition and even condemnation, with many critics dismissing the action as a political stunt intended to bolster GOP turnout on election day.

“We don't do stunts in this department,” Mattis told reporters Oct. 31.

The Pentagon has said the troops will provide logistical, operational, engineering and medical support to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol forces, such as rapid transportation via C-130 and C-17 aircraft and the use of military-grade sensor equipment to spot unidentified groups of people crossing the border.

The Pentagon has not yet announced the cost of the operation, which was initially called “Operation Faithful Patriot,” but is now referred to as a “support” mission. 

For comparison, Operation Jump Start, which lasted from May 2006 to July 2008 under former President George W. Bush, cost $1.2 billion and involved approximately 6,000 Guard troops, according to the Government Accountability Office.