Michigan National Guard soldiers to support Customs and Border Protection at U.S-Mexico border

Around 125 soldiers from the Michigan Army National Guard are set to deploy to the southwest U.S.-Mexico border to support Customs and Border Protection security operations, military officials said Friday.

The 1432nd Engineer Company, based out of the Upper Peninsula communities of Kingsford and Gladstone, will provide "mission-enhancing support" that will "enable federal agents to carry out their law enforcement responsibilities," according to officials.

The soldiers, who are anticipated to be deployed for up to a year, gathered with their families for a departure ceremony at Escanaba High School in Escanaba, Michigan, last month.

"Our Soldiers stand ready to answer the call to serve wherever they are needed," U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul D. Rogers, adjutant general and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said in a written statement Friday.

The mission marks the seventh deployment by Michigan National Guard personnel to the southwest border since 2020.