On the line: National Guard plugs gaps for Border Patrol in the Southwest.

• Author: Magnuson, Stew
• Position: NATIONAL GUARD

SAN LUIS, Ariz. -- Sgt. Elgin Cofield, and two other National Guard members stood under a canopy along a dusty road overlooking a road leading to the U.S.-Mexico border.

It was 107 degrees and the three were dressed in full body armor.

Cofield looked through a pair of binoculars for any sign of movement.

The U.S. Border Patrol has asked the Guard members participating in Operation Jump Start to serve as their eyes and ears by manning spots along the road. Local residents have been known to collaborate with illegal aliens by leaving bicycles in the nearby brush. After crossing the border, the intruders retrieve the bikes and make a mad run for the nearby border town of San Luis, Ariz., where they can quickly blend in with the local population.

The presence of the National Guard at the end of the road, for the time being, has put an end to the tactic.

Cofield is a long way from Elizabeth City, N.C., where he serves with the 690th Support Battalion in the state's National Guard.

He and thousands of other men and women in the service have volunteered to leave their homes and family to boost the Border Patrol's mission. Some like Cofield are standing watch on the lines, or flying air patrols, to stop incursions. Others are serving at headquarters to free up agents to go to the border, thus increasing the manpower to staunch the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs. Engineering battalions are building all-weather roads or double fences that will remain long after the operation ends.

Operation Jump Start has so far been a resounding success, according to Border Patrol agents. There have been dramatic decreases in the number of apprehensions in some Border Patrol sectors, which indicates that fewer immigrants are attempting to cross. Illegal drug seizures are also up. The mission has been in place for one year, and will run until the summer of 2008.

"We attribute most of our 68 percent decrease [in apprehensions] to the National Guard being here and allowing us to put boots on the ground and more men in the field," said Border Patrol Agent Eric Anderson.

As the operation's name suggests, the National Guard presence will "jump start" an overall plan to bolster the numbers of Border Patrol agents in the south. Current plans call for the agency to rapidly double its numbers to 12,000 agents by next year. As the Border Patrol stands up, the National Guard will stand down.

However, questions remain as to whether the Border Patrol will be able to reach its recruitment goals before the end of Operation Jump Start. The academy in Artesia, N.M., is operating at full capacity. Recruiters are competing with the military, local law enforcement and other agencies for a small pool of candidates.

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) was the first of the four southern border state governors to ask the White House to deploy the National Guard from other states. The Bush...