The chief of the National Guard Bureau, Army Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, believes Operation Jump Start is a “magnificent mission” that is “making a very, very big, positive difference.” On a week-long visit to see some of the 6,000 Army and Air National Guardsmen who are augmenting the US Border Patrol in all ways except actual law enforcement, Blum noted that morale among the Guardsmen is “extra high.” He added, “I haven’t met a soldier or airman here yet who doesn’t think they’re doing something that’s making a positive difference.”
Unit commanders are being told to separate service members who can’t shave their cheeks and chin for medical reasons for more than a year, according to new guidance from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
