Border Protector Michael J. Fisher - KMI Media Group

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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? 2nd Annual Border Management Conference & Technology Expo October 15th – 17th, 2012 Judson F William Convention Center, El Paso, TX Information, Integration, and Rapid Response Event Features: • Get exclusive access to the latest technology needed to secure U.S. land, air and maritime borders • Interact with over 100 vendors and thousands of attendees on the exhibit hall fl oor • Hear from over 30 speakers addressing the hottest issues in border management and security including Thomas Winkowski, Deputy Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Michael Fisher, Chief, U.S. Border Patrol. Register today to save! www.BorderTechExpo.com 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 www.BCD-kmi.com
By BRian o’sHea BCD eDitoR Counter Drug Operations oam’s p-3 pRogRam pRoves vital to minimize tHe amount of naRCotiCs enteRing ouR BoRDeRs. Tracking and coordinating the intervention of a billion dollars worth of cocaine is a worthy feat for any federal agency working to prevent narcotics from entering the United States, and it happens to be something that U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Office of Air and Marine (OAM) does on a regular basis. A big part of that capability relies on the use of OAM’s P-3 aircraft operations, which accounted for the disruption and seizure of over 148,000 pounds of cocaine in fiscal year 2011 with an estimated street value of $11.1 billion and intercepted three self-propelled semi-submersibles. The OAM operates 14 Lockheed Orion P-3 patrol aircraft. OAM P-3s are high-endurance, all-weather, tactical turbo-prop aircraft, which are utilized primarily for long-range patrols along the U.S. border and in the drug transit zones. CBP P-3 aircraft provide the bulk of their time conducting long-range surveillance, information gathering and interdiction missions in support of the Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S). “This is a Cold War aircraft,” said Lothar Eckhardt, executive director of National Air Security Operations (NASO), Office of Air and Marine, Customs and Border Protection. “Back in the days of the Cold War, when the U.S. Navy was tracking nuclear submarines from the Soviet Union, they came up with the P-3 because it is a great all-weather aircraft. It has a high endurance time, it can stay up for 10 hours, it can fly low—which is where you need to be to get these guys—for a long period of time. It’s a workhorse airplane and it’s ideal to do that. It can www.BCD-kmi.com BCD 1.1 | 21
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Border Protector Michael J. Fisher - KMI Media Group

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