During a covert support operation with a C.I. conducting a counter narco-terrorist LRRP patrol, a long time supporter of US Border Guard (Mr. Harry L. Hughes III) came up missing in a very dangerous area right on the U.S./Mexican border south of Yuma, Arizona known by U.S. Customs agents as "smuggler's pass". Little was known as to the exact location of the missing subject. "Somewhere" which was "possibly" on the Barry Goldwater Bombing Range was given as the first area to search. Mr. Hughes and his K9 "Bailey" were missing for 5 days in this hostile environment with no cell phone contact whatsoever. The call to USBG HQ to launch a Search & Rescue mission came in and we promptly went into high gear. Patrol Leader J.T. Ready likewise sent the call out to Brother-In-Arms organizations with whom USBG has worked dangerous areas in the past to help provide mutual aid and support in this life or death situation of a fellow citizen and patriot. While these groups scrambled to pull resources, equipment, and men with the firepower and training capable of taking on the cartel got geared up and ready to roll, J.T. began his three hour telephone coordination of governmental agencies and detective work to gather intel to help narrow down the search Area of Responsibility for SAR team insertion into the CZ. Dropping all their work and family obligations, these brave men from several groups punched out into the night deep into enemy territory to rescue one of our own.

The many tens of thousands of miles of border vehicle patrols and thousands of miles of boots on the ground patrols the combined experience of these seasoned Border War veterans offered to the situation was remarkable. Everyone from a Vietnam War veteran to civilians to a recent Afghanistan War veteran were ready, willing, and able to take this SAR mission head on. Supporters also stood by monitoring local news outlets, manning telephones, 3 QRF's (Quick Reaction Teams) stood ready in case the ad hoc SAR Team itself became quagmired in a firefight or missing, and even volunteers as far away as Detroit, Florida, and Georgia stood ready to jump on a plane to assist our SAR Team. Likewise, the donations of many gracious supporters truly made this mission possible to begin with. Even now, we are working on reimbursing volunteers for their fuel in this long range rescue mission.

Due to USBG breaking the tired paradigm of a mere Constitutional "militia" which has no national standards for training, guidelines of membership, positive public image, or clearly defined mission- our unique pioneering of a Search and Rescue organization with an emphasis on Counter Narco-Terrorist operations as well as a working relationship with serious border groups and law enforcement paid off. Big time. We knew what to do. Many times we have rescued lost hikers, travelers, 4x4 enthusiasts, illegal aliens, drug smugglers, stuck Law Enforcement officials, and even horses; this time we were rescuing one of our own! Driving through the night we established comms and fought fatigue as members were going into 24 hours without sleep. We forced our minds to stay alert and met with U.S. Border Patrol agents and Yuma County Sheriff representative under a Department of Homeland Security flag lit only by the blood red glow of an eery moon hanging low over the Gila Mountains near the border. We were provided maps and shared intel. We went over what details the detective work we had gleaned provided. We were briefed on the B.P. AOR and possible 46's (drug smugglers) in the vicinity. We scoured the town of Wellton, Arizona looking for Harry's truck and taking note of tow/repair shops which may have recovered his vehicle before deploying into the field. Our first target was to search Fortuna Caves and establish a base camp under the cover of darkness. During this recon J.T. spotted a field expedient radio repeater antenna setup. A small detachment of Border Rangers secured the high point, documented the narco sign, photo reconned the equipment inside and out, and called the grid coordinates in to Border Patrol to mark as a possible narco spotter position. At first light the SAR Team had a breakfast of MRE's, checked weapons and ammo, stowed night vision equipment, and headed south along the infamous smuggler's route aptly named Camino del Diablo (Road of the Devil). Our destination was post A14 directly on the U.S./Mexican border.

Utilizing tracking skills, as well as map reading skills, the lead vehicle located tire tracks which were believed to be Harry's. Likewise, Harry's faded boot prints and Bailey's wind blurred paw prints were documented several times in areas where they had been. Upon reaching the Emergency Danger Beacon, an Office of Air and Marine helicopter was spotted tracking what appeared to be possible armed narcos with dope loads on their backs. Using optics skills, we were able to determine these men as USMC Recon commandos armed with belt fed machine guns and other accoutrements of war instead. A Leader's Recon quickly covered ground to intersect their direction of travel and make contact while other SAR Team members provided security overwatch and made contact with Wellton Staion B.P. agents on scene. Two armed groups approaching one another in the CZ can be a very hair raising situation. Tension arose on both ends of the loaded weapons. However, after contact was made it was a Recon reunion of sorts with the banter between the USMC Recon Team Leader and the USBG Patrol Leader laughing at knowing some of the same people from their days with 1st Reconnaissance Company, HQ Battalion, 1st MARDIV. It is indeed a small world. A critical map was provided with intel identifying a subject stuck in a wash thought to be Harry south of Cipriano Pass deep in the Tianjas Altas Mountians. The SAR Team requested an escort by armed B.P. agents as far south as they could take them. The agents got the SAR Team to the south end of the Gila Mountings then had to track 9 drug smugglers reported east of the area. We were back on our own again.

The SAR Team continued to look for sign of Harry and his truck and would periodically stop to secure an area. Always mindful of radio OPSEC and combat situational awareness, this seasoned team of border veterans also kept their eyes peeled for narco-terrorists who could be lurking in the inhospitable terrain. As military fighter jets training on the bombing range roared overhead, the hood of the Jeep became the field expedient map center. Maps had to be consulted numerous times as this terrain is easy to get lost in. As fuel began running critically low, and time allotted for this portion of the mission running out, it was decided to split forces to cover more ground with a fallback rally point established. (Note: while splitting up covers more ground, we took it upon ourselves to risk less firepower, more danger for ourselves, and the risk of losing SAR Team members in the process) We were willing to take the risks. Horns were blasted and yells of "HAR---RRRY" echoed through the canyons at the tops of our voices in unison at periodic stops. Our additional risks paid off. One of the vehicle recon teams came across the airwaves with the broken radio transmission crackling with the message of "Harry has been found." The other teams raced to the exact GPS location. Sure enough, Harry and Bailey were located. Our worse fears that he may have fallen into cartel hands were never realized. This was all due to the diligence and hard work of dedicated American patriots willing to sacrifice their all for national security. The reunion was joyous but brief. We were still deep behind enemy territory with a stuck truck to dig out of a rocky wash. We all got back to work and the tasks at hand to complete the SAR mission.

Many important lessons can be learned from this serious experience. Not all of these lessons will be addressed here at this time or openly to the public. One thing which aided in survival was Harry's knowledge of the desert. Without question, what aided in the rescue was the experience and motivation of the professional SAR Team involved. Suffice it to say that we are all happy we did not have to watch a heinous YouTube video of Harry being beheaded by the cartel instead. A special Thank You! goes out to (but is not limited to) the following people and organizations for their assistance in this highly successful combat search and rescue mission:

Volunteer Border Rangers of US Border Guard http://www.USBorderGuard.com

Sonoran Desert Patrol http://www.SonoranDesertPatrol.com

Border Recon

USMC Recon http://www.forcerecon.com/

United States Marine Corps http://www.marines.mil/Pages/Default.aspx

Wellton Station Customs and Border Patrol Agents http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/border_security/border_patrol/border_patrol_sectors/yuma_sector_az/yuma_stations/wellton_station.xml

Yuma County Sheriff's Office http://www.yumacountysheriff.org/index.html

Office of Air and Marine http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/border_security/air_marine/

Town of Wellton, Arizona Police Department http://www.town.wellton.az.us/department.htm

National Socialist Movement http://www.NSM88.org

Arizona Game and Fish Department http://www.gf.state.az.us/

Department of Homeland Security http://www.dhs.gov/index.shtm

Bureau of Land Management http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en.html

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USBG
P.O. Box 571
Mesa, AZ 85211-0571
480-255-5266
http://www.USBorderGuard.com

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSZUjM9LkO0"]#OccupyPhoenix - US Border Guard - YouTube[/ame]