President Obama orders 40,000 Army troopers cut from active service. His intent, so news reports say, is to “save $7 billion.” At the same time, Obama spends $500 million to train what ended up being five anti-ISIS fighters. The math works out like this:  $100 million expended per man trained to fight ISIS vs. savings of $175,000 per trooper eliminated from the ranks. And this guy Obama has executive authority over our economy?

The above is the setup for the following suggestion; given the choice, would US Army troops rather deploy along our southern border, guarding our nation’s security and integrity, or, be deployed overseas on ill defined, poorly planned foreign missions both Congress and the executive have made a muddle of?

Our southern border is with one nation, Mexico. All 1,954 miles of it. Say we build an actual fence, built by legitimate construction companies not on Washington’s crony payroll. A real fence. At the eye popping expense of $2.5 million per mile. Or, $4.8 billion. I sincerely doubt an honest effort to build a double layer fence would cost that much, but I’m being generous.

We give the Army, not the fumble fingered Homeland Security, responsibility for border integrity and security. After all, they are charged with protecting the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic and what could be more compelling than protecting the actual land of the United States in that mission instead of deploying a Ready Force to Yambol, Bulgaria, or Camp Bondsteel in Macedonia? Maybe Macedonia and Bulgaria need military help. Maybe we’re using them for missions best not discussed. But, the Army’s primary, core, fundamental mission is to protect the United States of America and that isn’t happening. Their goal must be to protect the home first, and then we’ll talk about all these other expenses and missions. Secure the home, or there’s no point to the rest of it.

Build the full 1,954 miles of security fence. Station 3 Army troopers every mile. 3 per mile to complete the 24-hour clock. That’s their mile. 3 x 1954 = 5,863 men and women under arms responsible for their mile. Full communications gear. Full authority to harshly deal with intrusions. A command post every ten miles staffed with a further 24 quick response troopers as backup to the 3 per mile. That’s another 4,689 enlisted and officers. That’s 10,552 personnel, effectively only a fourth of the 40,000 cuts Obama wants to weaken the Army with.

If Obama can spend $100 million per ISIS fighter, how can Congress possibly object to several billion to protect what George Bush termed the Homeland? Muslim terrorists are paying $50,000 per head to slip across our southern border. Texas officials warn of terrorism coming across our southern border. Border agents whom Obama has emasculated warn of criminal gangs crossing the border. Mexican cartels control American soil up to 70 miles inland from the border. How is any of this not an urgent matter of National Security? The US Amry’s mission is, after all, at Section 3062 of Title 10 US Code -

*Preserving the peace and security and providing for the defense of the United States, the Commonwealths and possessions and any areas occupied by the United States

*Supporting the national policies

*Implementing the national objectives

*Overcoming any nations responsible for aggressive acts that imperil the peace and security of the United States

Our southern border is an invitation to fatal disaster, to say the least. Our nation’s citizens are at grave risk. What agency do we have at the ready capable of securing our integrity, safety and national sovereignty? The United States Army, which is spread around the globe fighting any number of other wars, protecting every other border and projecting force everywhere but here at home.

• Build the fence, double layer
• Station the Army every mile
• Stop the invasion
• Control the border
• Save the United States
• Save money (illegals cost Los Angeles over $1 billion per annum) 2013 estimate; national cost over $113 billion)
• Vastly reduce law enforcement costs (criminal and civil law)
• Eject those who are here illegally
• Save Lives (see Randall Hoven, American Thinker)

How is this not the most urgent national security matter facing America? If people to the south of our border cannot control themselves and respect our rule of law, then it is up to America to force the issue. The US Army can do the job, with troops willing and eager to not be laid off like factory workers and who would, I do not doubt, love performing the Mission they signed up to do: protect the United States.

Jesse Hand Conroy, author, Price River Publishing; correspondence: jessehcontory@gmail.com