120 South Dakota Guard Troops Deploy to Border

More than 120 members of the South Dakota National Guard’s Wagner-based 155th Engineer Company are preparing for a roughly yearlong deployment to the U.S.-Mexico border, the state’s seventh border mission. The soldiers, drawn from about 49 South Dakota communities, will provide logistical and personnel support to the U.S. Border Patrol and will have no law enforcement authority. Officials have withheld the deployment date and specific operational details, citing security concerns. State leaders praised the troops’ service, while Guard officials and the governor noted the challenges and family sacrifices involved; family readiness and reintegration programs will offer support during the deployment.