BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Texas National Guard engineers continued to add concertina wire along the border to help stop the flow of illegal migrant traffic crossing into the US near Brownsville, Texas in late May.  

The engineers have laid miles and miles of fencing along the border and their efficiency has been a key factor in the slowing of the migrant crossings. They have worked nearly nonstop, especially for the last three weeks after the ending of Title 42. 

Spc. Jarret Rhames has been in the Texas National Guard for nearly three years. His job is to build fortifications and slow down the migrants from breaching the fencing. He said he takes pride in being in the military, and being on this mission because of his family history. 

“My father and his father are prior service, and I am fifth generation in my family serving in the military,” Rhames said. “It was also a sense of purpose for me to serve something bigger than myself.” 

Rhames decided to go into combat engineering because he found it an interesting job.  

“They offered me a job as a combat engineer and I it sounded really interesting to me, cool, fun and something I can get enjoyment out of,” Rhames said. 

Rhames said he and his team of engineers are making a difference protecting the border.  

 “The work we put in everyday, personally makes a huge difference,” Rhames said. “When we aren’t putting fencing along the border, we are on private properties that we get contracted with to build fences along their property lines and that gives those people a peace of mind.”