FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Fort Huachuca is hosting service members from Fort Drum in New York, as part of President Donald Trump's border security executive orders.
“As far as I'm concerned, they're just the newest member of team Huachuca,” said Garrison Commander for Fort Huachuca, Mike Childs.
A total of approximately 500 service members are coming from the 10th Mountain Division on Fort Drum to help with the "surge on the southern border". On Thursday night, about 90 soldiers arrived at Libby Airfield on Fort Huachuca.
“Since we're a light infantry division, we don't have huge tanks like the 3rd Infantry Division or the 1st Calvary Division," said Chief of Logistics for 10th Mountain Division. "We really could get any where need through air.”
The group of 90 is the largest to arrive so far, will smaller groups expected to land in the coming days.
“Anytime you move in organizations the big challenge is having to deal with multiple agencies, both government and commercial agencies,” Davis said.
He and his groups primary focus, is receiving all their equipment from across the county. Davis wouldn't specify what equipment they were bring, but did say it's what they need to run their command set up.
"We have a great logistics system in the Army to move all of it, and again, we have great partners here on Fort Huachuca to help us receive it,” he said.
Childs says they had a few weeks notice that the group from the 10th Mountain Division was coming. In that time they worked to fine space from their new teammates to sleep and work.
"I don't have specifics on how long they'll be here for right now, but we are prepared to take care of them for as long as they are here, and then for as long as our mission dictates,” Childs said.
He says the increase won't change daily operations of the fort, but locals may notice more service members on the installation and in the community.
“I think they're going to realize it's just business as usual, but they're just going to see a lot more soldiers with a new patch,” Childs said. "When we got word you know that we're going to have some new teammates on team Huahcua, I mean it was just like, okay, this is this is great because we're going to have a bigger family now.”
Details of the 10 Mountain Division's mission were not shared, but they will be working under the U.S. Northern Command, in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
