WEBVTT 00:07.809 --> 00:09.920 I'm Lieutenant Colonel Tyrone Baron . 00:10.119 --> 00:12.119 I'm the commanding officer of First 00:12.119 --> 00:14.175 Combat Engineer Battalion . I'm also 00:14.175 --> 00:16.230 the commanding officer of Task Force 00:16.230 --> 00:18.175 Saper for the JTF Joint Task Force 00:18.175 --> 00:22.120 Southern Border . So Task Force Sapers 00:22.120 --> 00:24.231 primary mission is to conduct general 00:24.231 --> 00:26.453 engineering , and this particular stage 00:26.453 --> 00:28.120 of the mission , it's barrier 00:28.120 --> 00:30.120 reinforcement . There's an existing 00:30.120 --> 00:31.842 barrier , both a primary and a 00:31.842 --> 00:33.509 secondary barrier here on the 00:33.509 --> 00:35.676 Mexican-American border in San Diego . 00:35.709 --> 00:38.360 So it's roughly about 15 to 18 miles of 00:38.360 --> 00:40.439 this barrier , and we are conducting 00:40.439 --> 00:42.606 reinforcement with a concertina wire , 00:42.606 --> 00:45.119 an obstacle that delays and disrupts 00:45.119 --> 00:47.520 any illegal activity and crossings . So 00:47.520 --> 00:50.664 we've been . placing concertina wire by 00:50.914 --> 00:53.136 welding the engineer stakes , the green 00:53.136 --> 00:54.970 e stakes , welding them onto the 00:54.970 --> 00:56.747 barrier , and then tying in the 00:56.747 --> 00:58.747 concertina wire on top of that . So 00:58.747 --> 01:00.636 before we got out here to place a 01:00.636 --> 01:02.636 secondary obstacle , illegal aliens 01:02.636 --> 01:04.692 were crossing the barrier by cutting 01:04.692 --> 01:06.581 segments at the bottom as well as 01:06.581 --> 01:08.470 crossing over the top of it . The 01:08.470 --> 01:10.581 crossings over the top as well as the 01:10.581 --> 01:12.636 crossings at the bottom , influenced 01:12.636 --> 01:14.858 the design of the barrier and showed us 01:14.858 --> 01:16.914 the need for some sort of obstacle . 01:16.914 --> 01:19.081 The ground as well as something closer 01:19.081 --> 01:21.303 to the top , but not something so close 01:21.303 --> 01:23.470 that they'd be able to easily maneuver 01:23.470 --> 01:25.414 over it . The equipment that we're 01:25.414 --> 01:27.136 using welding equipment is not 01:27.136 --> 01:27.127 unfamiliar for most of our Marines who 01:27.127 --> 01:29.349 have the specialty . However , we don't 01:29.349 --> 01:31.571 have the depth of welders in the Marine 01:31.571 --> 01:33.683 Corps , frankly that was required out 01:33.683 --> 01:35.905 here . So what we have done is gathered 01:35.905 --> 01:37.738 Marines who have experience from 01:37.738 --> 01:39.683 welding , Marines who have it as a 01:39.683 --> 01:41.794 specialty , and we have provided them 01:41.794 --> 01:43.794 OJT on the job training , and we've 01:43.794 --> 01:45.960 provided them . Opportunities to learn 01:45.960 --> 01:47.960 how to weld in this basic manner to 01:47.960 --> 01:49.960 apply the brackets and as they gain 01:49.960 --> 01:52.071 proficiency and show proficiency , we 01:52.071 --> 01:52.022 then move them into higher and more 01:52.022 --> 01:54.133 challenging employment of the welding 01:54.133 --> 01:56.133 kit and of brackets for the barrier 01:56.133 --> 01:58.244 reinforcement here and primarily with 01:58.244 --> 02:00.244 first carbon in time , one of their 02:00.244 --> 02:02.466 training and readiness standards is the 02:02.466 --> 02:04.355 installation of concertina wire , 02:04.355 --> 02:06.522 triple strand , rows of 11 , and we do 02:06.522 --> 02:08.411 that as obstacle and placement in 02:08.411 --> 02:08.052 support of the first Marine Division . 02:08.222 --> 02:10.389 What is new and unique here is that we 02:10.389 --> 02:12.444 are now applying it above the deck . 02:12.444 --> 02:14.500 Onto a structure that already exists 02:14.500 --> 02:16.611 versus on the ground using stakes and 02:16.611 --> 02:18.611 pounding them in . And so this is a 02:18.611 --> 02:20.666 permanent application of wire to the 02:20.666 --> 02:23.016 barrier . We cannot prevent all 02:23.016 --> 02:25.238 crossings with our obstacle . It has to 02:25.238 --> 02:27.127 be paired with the activities and 02:27.127 --> 02:29.127 mission that the army is doing with 02:29.127 --> 02:30.960 their monitoring , detecting and 02:30.960 --> 02:32.960 deterring of crossings , and the US 02:32.960 --> 02:32.886 Border Patrol also doing the same thing . 02:33.095 --> 02:35.317 There are young men and women here that 02:35.317 --> 02:37.373 are proud to serve their country and 02:37.373 --> 02:39.373 they are proud to do a mission that 02:39.373 --> 02:41.428 makes sure that their loved ones are 02:41.428 --> 02:40.166 safe .