Orders were issued. Soldiers were told to pack up and get mission ready. They were mobilized to the U.S.-Mexico border.
For all of them, their lives and professions were paused. But for some of them, their sacrifices were greater.
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in March 2021. It has been at the heart of his effort to deter illegal immigration, and it has received support from President-elect Donald Trump and other conservative leaders.
However, since the mission began, at least 17 Texas National Guardsmen have died from various causes. The deaths include at least seven suicides. two accidental shootings, and two motor vehicle accidents. One guardsman drowned while attempting to save migrants who were crossing the Rio Grande.
Officials with the Texas Military Department disclosed the death toll during a hearing of the Texas House Committee on Defense and Veterans Affairs in August. The department did not respond to a request for comment about the deaths or the conditions of the mobilization.
However, Gov. Abbott's office released a statement that said, "The loss of life for any National Guard member is one too many, and our hearts are with the families and loved ones of these heroes."
The governor's office praised the guardsmen for serving on the mission.
"Texas National Guard soldiers work day and night to protect our country from the consequences of the Biden-Harris Administration's dangerous open border policies, and their service and their sacrifice is extraordinary for our state and our nation," the statement said.
Abbott's office said in November that Operation Lone Star has resulted in more than 526,000 immigrant apprehensions and more than 48,000 criminal arrests.
Soldiers mourn friends, comrades
Guardsman assigned to Operation Lone Star often paint a mixed picture of their deployment.
"The first few years were rough," said one soldier, who asked that his name be withheld because he's afraid of retaliation from his command. "Just because of the living conditions. We were all crammed into ... 30-man trailers … no personal space."
But he added that the living situation improved over the years, as the state of Texas built camps along the border and housed many troops in hotels.
The guardsman said he knew the soldier who drowned, 22-year-old field artilleryman Bishop Evans.
"That one hurt, because he was well liked by a lot of the guys," the guardsman said about the 2019 drowning. "I knew him personally. He was a good friend."
Another Texas guardsman, who also requested his name withheld, said he witnessed the death of 19-year-old Specialist Dajuan Townes, who died Feb. 7, 2022 when his personal firearm went off. The Texas Military Department deemed Townes' death not mission related.
"When we requested that we stop training because someone had died … we were told to 'shut the f— up, sit there and keep doing your job' as if nothing happened," the guard member said.
The guardsman said soldiers requested trauma supplies such as tourniquets, but commanders denied those requests.
"We were told that there was no need for those supplies at this time," he said. "This is immediately following a service member being shot in the back and dying."
Following Bishop Evans' drowning death, the Texas legislature passed a law named for him. It made the families of National Guardsmen on state missions eligible for a $500,000 lump sum payment in the event of their death. The statement from the governor's office said Abbott was proud to sign the bill.
But few of the Operation Lone Star victims' families have benefited from the Bishop Evans Act.
Sheila Bailey Taylor, the Texas Military Department's Director of State Administration, told state lawmakers that ten claims were submitted before the law passed in September 2023, while six were denied because families were deemed ineligible for the benefits.
"By rules, TMD’s investigation is conducted in accordance with Army regulations, which I understand is a complex detailed process," Taylor said. "TMD is responsible for the investigation of the incident and determining whether, in fact, the death was in the line of military duty."
Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro has fought Operation Lone Star since its launch. The Democrat attempted to block federal funding for what he called a "rogue operation." Castro called the 17 deaths devastating and referred to Operation Lone Star as a "show horse" for Abbott.
"There's just a lot of concerns about how these troops have been treated in Operation Lone Star, in addition to serious questions about the effectiveness of the whole operation," Castro said. "The deaths of 17 soldiers is just incredibly damning for Operation Lone Star and for Greg Abbott's legacy as governor."
"It was never enough"
Suicide is a leading cause of death among service members as a whole. The Department of Defense reported 523 deaths by suicide in 2023 among active duty troops, members of the National Guard and reserves, and their spouses and dependents. That represents a six percent increase over 2022. The Pentagon said the military suicide rate is similar to that of the general U.S. population when adjusted for age and sex.
But some observers say the nature of the border mission can especially affect soldiers' mental health.
"The only way to stop these suicides is to stop forcing them to do to carry out these violent policies against their fellow human beings," said Ari Sawyer, an expert on immigration policy who formerly worked with Human Rights Watch.
President-elect Trump said he plans to use the military to carry out mass deportations and secure the border. The state of Texas has offered land on the Rio Grande to the incoming Trump administration as a location for deportation facilities, though Gov. Abbott has suggested the state mission may wind down if the federal government sends more resources to the border.
"To the extent that the military is tasked with immigration enforcement in the United States, we will see more and more suicides, especially because the country is really polarized on this issue, and so there's a sense of rejection and isolation," Sawyer said.
The Guardsman who witnessed Dajuan Townes' death said he left the region experiencing depression and PTSD. Because he was on state active duty and not federal orders, he did not receive disability benefits, and his conditions were deemed not-service connected.
"I went on Operation Lone Star trying my best, and no matter how hard I tried, it was never enough,” he said. "Part of me deeply regrets joining the military and being on Operation Lone Star because of how much it affected and changed me."
But the other guardsman - the friend of Bishop Evans - said he'll stay on the border mission for as long as he's needed.
"There is a problem with the open borders," he said. "And [if] the governor thinks that we should be down here to protect the people of Texas, then we've got to do it."
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a certified listener, call 988.
This story was produced by the American Homefront Project, a public media collaboration that reports on American military life and veterans.
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