Page 7 - The Dispatch December 2019

TEXAS MILITARY DEPARTMENT
30th Anniversary the ceremony with several other TMD leadership
in attendance.

“In my opinion, it is the worst epidemic problems
that we have in our country when 70,000 U.S. cit-
izens die from drug-related overdoses in a year,”
said Maj. Gen. Patrick Hamilton, the 36th Infantry
Division commander. “One thing about the Guard
is that we are a community-based organization, at
the grass roots—it’s how we were built."

“It shows we were organized from the very begin-
ning and working with our partners in an intergov-
ernmental agency relationship is how we get after
the problem.”

Hamilton previously presided over the Counter-
drug program when he served as the Domestic
Operations Task Force Commander.

“The thing to me, as a division commander, a com-
bat commander, who has troops who serve—the
Counterdrug program is not what I think people
feared; that it would be a distractor to the readi-
ness of our force,” said Hamilton.

“It was exactly the opposite. The Soldiers who I
have serving the program are physically fit be-
cause they have to be because they are on ac-
tive duty, they are medically ready and because
of the way Title 32 was written they have to be
able to train with my formation to maintain their
readiness and be available for deployment at any
time. Counterdrug is a readiness enhancer for our
force.”

The 30 years of the program’s history are marked
by parks that are built in the place of demolished
drug houses, record multi-billion dollar drug sei-
zures, positively impacted at-risk youth and en-
hanced law enforcement agency capabilities.

Hamilton recalled attending Operation Crack-
down, where Counterdrug engineers knocked
down a home known for illicit drug activity.

“I’ve seen it firsthand, a crack house getting
knocked down in a neighborhood and hours lat-
er watching kids play soccer on an empty lot that
was a crack house 24 hours before with people A collection of photos detailing the efforts of the Texas National Guard
dealing and using drugs,” said Hamilton. “That is to battle narcotics and drug use throughout the State. (From Top) 1.
getting after what the problem is in communities. Texas National Guard members help local law enforcement seize drugs
That folks, is why we have a Counterdrug program brought through southern border. 2. Texas Guardsmen demolish a
known drug house during Operation Crackdown. 3. Texas Army Nation-
and why it needs to continue to be successful.” -D al Guard pilots look for smugglers carrying narcotics 4. Soldiers collect
drugs from local community during take back the night event.

www.tmd.texas.gov 7