U.S. Troops To Spend A Month Painting Mexico Border Wall

The U.S. military now has a new task: to “improve the aesthetic appearance” of the wall along the southern border. In an email sent by the Department of Homeland Security to members of Congress stated that members of the military will spend roughly one month painting parts of one mile of the wall.

The section of the wall that is to be painted is located in Calexico, California.

Members of the U.S. military will spend roughly a month painting parts of one mile of the wall along the southern border, according to an email sent by the Department of Homeland Security to members of Congress.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) confirmed this plan.

DHS informed Congress today that troops are going to spend the next month painting the border wall & “the primary purpose is to improve the aesthetic appearance.” A disgraceful misuse of taxpayer $$. Our military has more important work to do than making Trump’s wall beautiful.

— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) June 5, 2019

The email states that the paint and other materials will be paid for by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s fiscal year 2019 budget.

On Thursday, the Pentagon informed members of Congress through a message that approximately “100 Active Duty Engineer personnel” would “apply an anti-climb coating to about a mile of new bollard barrier near the Calexico West port of entry.”

Currently, there are 3,000 active duty troops and 2,000 National Guard members deployed to secure the southern border. The troops are there due to a shortage of Customs and Border Protection personnel.

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The duties that these troops can perform at the border are limited by law, but the Pentagon has explain that, among other things, the troops would provide engineering support with temporary barriers, barricades and fencing, and planning assistance and aviation support to the CBP personnel.

Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan recently said the Pentagon was trying to determine how long troops would be required to support the security of the borders.

“We really need to get back to out primary missions and continue to generate readiness,” he said.