 Nearly 5,000 US soldiers posted near Mexico border Washington (AFP) Nov 5, 2018 - Around 4,800 US soldiers were deployed Monday to the border with Mexico, the Pentagon announced, saying it could not give a price tag for the operation Democrats decry as political maneuvering from President Donald Trump. Some 1,100 of the troops are in California, another 1,100 in Arizona and 2,600 in Texas on the eve of crucial midterm elections that will determine whether Trump's Republicans keep their hold on power in Congress. "This continues to be a dynamic situation with more units and personnel deploying to the operating area and we expect to reach 5,200 deployed personnel as early as today," said Colonel Bob Manning, a Defense Department spokesman. Manning said more than 7,000 active duty troops were expected to "soon" be supporting the Department of Homeland Security. Some 2,100 National Guard reservists have already been active in the area for several months, so the arrival of the latest troops will bring the total US military presence to 9,000. Operation Faithful Patriot aims to block the huge groups of Central American migrants marching on foot toward the United States, where they plan to demand asylum. Asked about the cost of the operation, Manning said it had yet to be determined by the Pentagon's financial services. "The department will absorb the cost but I just don't have a number for you," he said. Manning noted that DHS had requested that active duty troops, rather than reservists -- who usually partake in operations on US soil -- for this operation. That's a sign that the White House was trying to circumvent the opposition of some governors, who need to approve the deployment of their state's National Guard troops. "There is no plan for them to come in direct contact with migrants or protesters," Manning said. Trump, who has warned of an "invasion" of the thousands of migrants now in Mexico, announced the military deployment last week, saying that up to 15,000 troops could serve in the operation.
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About 900 personnel operating, off of the hospital ship USNS Comfort, have started medical operations in Paita, Peru, as part of U.S. Southern Command's Enduring Promise initiative.
Medical personnel from the military, non-governmental organizations and partner nations, started screening potential surgical patients there on Oct. 30, with two sites fully operational by Nov. 1st. The mission stop is expected by the Navy to be fully wrapped up by Nov. 6th.
The stop is the second on the Comfort's 11-week medical mission to Central and South America in support of U.S. Southern Command's Enduring Promise initiative. Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Honduras are partners included in the program to help relieve shortages in medical care in the region.
Enduring Promise 2018 is part of a long running series of humanitarian operations in Central and South America conducted by U.S. Southern Command, including medical missions and other relief operations. USNS Comfort has deployed to the region five times in the past and has treated over 300,000 patients and performed more than 6,000 surgeries.
"We have an incredibly robust team with a wide ranging portfolio of medical service offerings," Capt. Kevin Buckley, commanding officer of Medical Treatment Facility aboard Comfort, said in a press release.
"While Comfort is here in Paita this week, medical units will provide preventative medicine treatments, optometry, dermatology, women's health, adult medicine, pediatrics, and dental and surgical screenings to thousands of patients," Buckley said.
A surge in cross-border migrants who often need medical care has put increased strain on already overstretched health services across South and Central America.
The Comfort is a non-commissioned USNS ship crewed mainly by civilians with naval attachments. It is a mobile ship-based Level III medical facility which is capable of initial treatment, surgical operations and post-operative care.
Its mission, along with its sister ship USNS Mercy, is to support both combat military operations with treatment of casualties to provide medical services during humanitarian and disaster relief operations.
Depending on the operational requirements it can accommodate over 1,200 medical personnel and up to 1,000 bedded patients. The vessel has a flight deck capable of landing a large variety of military and civilian helicopters.
The Comfort was first deployed for Operation Desert Storm and has participated in multiple disaster relief and and combat operations to the present day. The vessel carries no offensive weaponry and an attack on it would be considered a war crime under international law.
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