Mark Stine KOLD News 13 Reporter

http://kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=5153989

The heavy machinery is running and the dirt is being moved.  The Kentucky national guardsmen are taking their turn working on the Arizona/ Mexico border.

"They're all for it.  Our morale is very high, this is the kind of stuff we do," Batallion Commander Lt. Col. Robert Hamm said.

The 206th Engineer Batallion is working hard in an effort to make the Arizona/Mexico border stronger.

Hamm explained, "We're here to build roads, we're engineers, I think it's a great training opportunity here for our men."

The Kentucky Guardsmen were supposed to be training in their home state for three weeks, but were redirected to the border instead.

"It's exciting for us and our agents to see this work going on," John Fitzpatrick with the Border Patrol told KOLD.

"It's kind of rough traversing through the area, we're just making it safer," Hamm replied.

"It gives us lateral movement of our border area which is important.  So we can respond to the entries and make the interdictions we need to make."

While the Kentucky Guardsmen construct a road for the Border Patrol, other guardsmen are watching for illegal entries into the U.S.

Fitzpatrick said, "Just early this morning, one of the guard units spotted a load of narcotics coming into the country.  In conjunction with the guardsmen and our agents we ceased 600 lbs of marijuana."

"We are not in the apprehension business.  We simply observe and report," General Matthew Whittington explained.

The extra eyes and hands on the border are allowing Border Patrol Agents to shift their focus. 

"We're able to put them in areas that are important to our deterrent operation and free up agents to go and work areas we don't normally get to work," Fitzpatrick said.