Border Protector Michael J. Fisher - KMI Media Group

what’s happening; to be able to deploy and re-deploy resources against
the greatest risks.
Q: With the recently passed FAA re-authorization act, clearing
domestic airspace for widespread UAS use, how will this benefit
CBP’s aerial surveillance capabilities?
A: It’s critical; without the certificates of authorization granted by the
FAA, we wouldn’t be able to operate in any airspace. CBP currently
has coverage along the southern border from the Arizona state line
all the way east and south through Texas, and two ground control stations
that operate both launch and recovery operations. One is in Fort
Huachuca, Ariz., and the other one is in Corpus Christi. We have one
on the northern border in North Dakota, which gives us the ability to
launch and recover up north as well.
During the last flooding of the Red River, CBP’s Predators were able
to provide much-needed downstreaming video to the first responders
and rescuers to get a sense of what the area looked like and how
to deploy, so it was a really good tool for the leadership. CBP has an
agreement with FAA in areas where we may not have a certificate of
authorization to fly. There are protocols in place that, given certain
circumstances from a national security standpoint, we can get waivers
to fly in those areas on a case by case basis.
Q: Can you describe the training program that is offered by the
Border Patrol Academy for new Border Patrol agents?
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20 | BCD 1.1
A: Our basic academy for Border Patrol Agents is in Artesia, N.M. It’s a
55/40 program, meaning the first 55 days covers all the certifications
and instruction that most law enforcement personnel get: firearms
training, law studies, driver training and physical standards training.
After successful completion of the first 55 days of training, Border
Patrol agents transition to Spanish language training and must
pass a language proficiency test. When an agent passes the language
test, he/she rotates to his/her assigned station and will be part of the
field training unit and complete the one year probation. If a border
patrol agent is not able to pass the language proficiency test, he or
she would stay at the academy for an additional 40 days of language
proficiency training, and then go to their field training units in the
field.
Q: What are the C4ISR priorities for U.S. Border Patrol?
A: The priorities for the Border Patrol are high-risk areas. In our
world, the high-risk areas are where we know people and/or contraband
are entering illegally in between the ports of entry. It could
be a priority based on geography, it could be a priority based on a
high value target. If we have information that leads us to believe an
individual or group of individuals is intending to cross in a particular
area, that will drive our priorities. It’s really driven by information
and intelligence which identifies those areas and individuals that we
want to look at and need to be able to identify and classify. This type
of information would make up target decks—for our Predator Bs, for
instance. Once you have the information, the next thing is integration.
We’re really talking about joint planning and execution against
some of those areas or targets. The third piece, rapid response, is the
capability to deploy manpower and resources to those areas of highest
risk.
Q: With all this new array of technology and capability, what is
the most beneficial for our national security and border security
mission?
A: The Border Patrol agent. Think of it in terms of the “last 50 feet.”
We have within this organization an increase in technology. We have
stuff that, quite frankly, I didn’t think I’d ever see in my career as a
Border Patrol agent. I think a lot of people think about the technology,
whether it’s the Predator Bs, the radar systems—we’ve got more
feeds on things that are happening out there, so I think a lot of people
tend to think that we just need more of that. But when you think
of the last 50 feet, it matters not what type of sensing and queuing
capability we have. It doesn’t matter whether we have primary fence
or secondary fence. It doesn’t matter how many unattended ground
sensors we have. Because at the end of the day, in order to identify
and classify and stop a particular threat—individuals who are coming
between the ports of entry for a variety of reasons, some of whom
want to do harm to this country—it’s going to take a Border Patrol
agent getting out of a vehicle, dismounting from a horse, or being
inserted by a helicopter to close that last 50 feet to be able to identify,
classify and stop that threat. There is no technology that I have seen
that’s going to be able to close that 50 feet other than the Border
Patrol agents. In my estimation, they are and will continue to be the
most valuable asset that we have in this organization, which is the
primary reason that identifying, developing and training future leaders
of this organization is so critical and thematic throughout our
strategic plan. O
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