The Arizona State Guard Trilogy

by Jeffrey M. Fortney

  "When the Korean War broke out, my father and the lieutenant, now retired, were too old to serve their country but their sons were not. I enlisted in the U.S. Army and volunteered to serve in the unit led by the lieutenant's son. One day, our unit came under attack. Our captain was brave and brilliant in battle. At one point in the battle, the North Koreans broke through our lines on all sides. A North Korean tried to bayonet my captain in the back. I dropped the Korean with one shot.

  "After the battle, the captain and I sat down and he thanked me for saving his life. I told him I was repaying an old debt between our families and then told him my father's story." Ernesto rose slowly from his chair, stepped over to the fire place, and removed an old black and white photo and frame from the mantel. He stepped over to the couch and sat next to Marcus then handed him the photo.

  Marcus examined the grainy image carefully. One man in the photo was obviously a much younger Ernesto Cortez. The young captain in the photo was...his own grandfather, Maximus Augustus Roman. Marcus looked up toward Ernesto, whose eyes were brimming with tears.

  "Yes, Marcus, that is your grandfather...my captain...my friend," said Ernesto. "Our families have been tied together for decades because of your great-grandfather's act of kindness and my saving your grandfather's life. And he kept my friends and me alive throughout the Korean War so that we could return home to our loved ones. I left the Army and became a teacher here in Sedona. I married my high school sweetheart and we had a strong, handsome son. He married and had a daughter. Isabel and I were watching Teresita one day when her parents, Max and his wife, were killed in a car accident in Oak Creek Canyon.

  "Isabel and I raised Teresita after her parents' deaths. Many times I told her the story of our family in America. When she was old enough to know what she wanted to do in life, she told us that she wished to serve in the Army and, if possible, serve with members of the Roman Family. When she wrote us to say that she had met you in Afghanistan we were excited. Doubly so, when it became apparent from her letters that you and she were growing close.

  Ernesto took Marcus' hands in his. "Marcus, you did not have to ask our permission but since you did, let me say that we would be honored to have you marry our Teresa. You are good for each other and it would unite our two families!" A few moments later, Isabel and Teresa entered the living room.

  "So what have you two been up to?" Teresa asked.

  Marcus patted the couch cushion next to him to have Teresa sit down. "Your grandfather and I were talking about the Roman and Cortez families and the way that their lives have intertwined. Given all that he has told me, I think I need to ask you something." Marcus slid from the couch and took a knee. From his pocket, he pulled out a small box which he opened to reveal a beautiful diamond ring.

  "Teresa Francesca Cortez, will you marry me?" Marcus asked.

  Tears of joy welled up in Teresa's eyes and she found all she could do at first was nod. Finally, she said, "Yes! Yes, of course I will!" Marcus pulled the ring from the box and slid it gently onto her finger. The couple rose, embraced, and kissed. Isabel and Ernesto rose from their seats to congratulate them.

  Chapter 5

  Marcus and Teresa arrived at ASGuard Headquarters two days later. Major General Roman welcomed Lieutenant Teresa Cortez to the ASGuard, then rose and walked around from behind his desk, and gave her a hug to welcome her to the Roman Family. After shaking hands with Marcus and offering his congratulations to the young officers, he sent them on their way. Teresa had to in process and Marcus and Titus had a million and one organizational hurdles to leap.

  Teresa met briefly with the ASGuard's chief medical officer, Colonel Charles Fasnacht, then dove into the acquisition of the medical equipment and supplies the organization would need. Marcus checked on the training of the organization's personnel then attended a briefing with his father.

  That evening, Titus invited Marcus and Teresa to dine with him. During the meal, Titus said, "Son, your mother is coming to Phoenix this weekend! She's already arranged rooms for us at one of the big hotels downtown. We'll have dinner together on Friday, then on Saturday she wants to take Teresa to some bridal shops to help her prepare for the wedding.

  "Teresa, my wife and I never had a daughter, only this big lug of a son. Marion is excited to know that we will now have a daughter, as well. So bear with her and her over-zealousness, Teresa; she does it out of love. Oh, and I spoke yesterday with your grandparents yesterday. A charming couple and invited them to the Ranch at the first opportunity. It was wonderful being able to personally thank your grandfather for the great service your family has done for ours.

  "Marcus, our helicopters start arriving in the morning. The first mission of the ASGuard Air Cavalry will be to take you and I on an aerial tour of the border...skids up at 0700. We need to check on the status of the National Guard and Border Patrol forces along the border, identify potential weak areas, and identify possible regional headquarters for each district."

  The remainder of the meal was spent going over reports from the ever expanding ASGuard organization. Personnel strength was nearing the initial stand-up projection. Vehicles, equipment, and weapons were arriving daily and were just as quickly issued to the various units within the ASGuard. Lieutenant Cortez was assigned the task of outfitting the ASGuard Medical Unit's ambulances, helicopters, and other vehicles with the appropriate medical equipment and supplies.

  At 0630 the next morning, Titus, Marcus, Teresa, and the general's security detail were stationed on the edge of the helicopter landing field on the south side of ASGuard Headquarters. They heard the whirling blades long before they saw the inbound helicopters. Soon, a flight of six helos, three CH-47 Chinooks and three UH-60 Black Hawks roared over the field then banked around and came in for a landing. Once all aircraft had landed, Titus and his team carefully approached one CH-47, staying low as they stepped under the still rotating blades.

  A crewmember helped them aboard, waved them to seats, and signaled them to belt in. Once their lap belts were fastened, she handed all of them helmets and showed them where they could plug their helmet communications into the chopper's integrated communications system to let them speak with the pilots and crew.

  "Welcome aboard, General...Major...everyone," the voice of the pilot came to them in their earphones. "I'm Major Brooks and my co-pilot is Captain Wieman. We're ready whenever you are."

  Titus pressed his comm-line talk button and said, "Good morning, gentleman! You looked great coming in. How about we head down to Bisbee-Douglas International Airport, top off our fuel, then head toward the southeastern corner of the state? We want to check out the existing border situation."

  "Yessir, General! You call, we haul!" came the reply.

  The six helos lifted from the field and upon reaching altitude turned southeast. The three Black Hawks were armed with rocket pods and door guns. The other two Chinooks carried two ten-person squads of ASGuard ground troops on a training mission and to provide security for Major General Roman.

  The flight to Bisbee-Douglas International Airport took about an hour and a half. The helicopters performed well and Titus made a mental note to call his friend at Marana Airport and tell him his crew did a great job on the refurbs. Fuel trucks were standing by when the helos landed and refueling began once non-essential personnel had exited the aircraft. The ASGuard personnel used the time to visit the restrooms and purchase some refreshments.

  In short order, they were airborne once more. The six helicopters flew east from the Bisbee-Douglas until they neared the border with New Mexico then turned south towards Mexico. About a mile north of the border, they turned westward to allow Titus and Marcus to scan the area where the first section of the Border Wall was being constructed from Arizona's southeast corner toward the west. Far to the west, survey teams could be seen measuring and marking the locations for the trenching teams to dig. Blasting and trenching teams were following closely behind them. The blasting teams were rigging explosives to fracture any ha
rd ground or rocky materials. The trenching teams' excavators then moved in and began scooping the loosened soil and debris to form the trenches the tilt-up concrete wall sections would be set into. Already several hundred yards of double tilt-up sections were in place and dirt and rock excavated from the Ditch and trenches were being dumped into the space between the concrete panels.

  South of the construction zone but still within the U.S. and Arizona border, National Guard and Border Patrol personnel were standing guard to protect the construction workers and deter illegal border crossings. In the distance, people could be seen moving about; some heading towards Arizona and New Mexico and others south.

  The choppers flew westward along Arizona's southern border. As they passed Douglas, Arizona, General Roman asked Major Brooks to circle what used to be Forrest Auxiliary Field back during World War II. The deserted field was west of Douglas and on the eastern edge of Cochise College-Douglas. As the choppers orbited the site, Titus examined it carefully with his binoculars; occasionally glancing at his digital tablet. Finally, he looked to Marcus and said, "That'll work. Mark that as ASGuard Border Station #1. We can set up temporary facilities until more permanent facilities can be built. Okay, Major Brooks, back along the border, please."

  They flew west passing south of Sierra Vista, Miracle Valley, and Palominas. As they approached Miller Peak and Montezuma Pass, General Roman again asked Brooks to circle an area. Satisfied with what he saw, Titus told Marcus to mark the Border Patrol Tower at that site ASGuard Border Station #2.

  After verifying where Border Station #3 would be set up between Nogales and Kino Springs, the choppers flew west over Nogales. Terry leaned towards the general and asked, "Sir, won't a lot of property be tore up in the border towns to build the Wall and the Ditch?"

  General Roman nodded and responded, "Yes...this was something the Governor and others debated for some time. But, if we're going to be serious about closing the border, it needs to be done. The land is being purchased from owners at above market value and the state is assisting them in their relocations. The people of Arizona have spoken through their State Legislators and the bottom line is they want the border secured. Seventy-nine percent approval for the project!"

  Eight miles west of Nogales, the helicopters turned northwest to continue to follow the Arizona-Mexico border. When they were about 50 miles west of Nogales, they could see a lot of activity on the ground and in the air. A convoy of twelve military trucks and three armored personnel carriers was crossing the border through a narrow arroyo. Three helicopters bearing the markings of the Ejército Mexicano or Mexican Army flew about the convoy. As the ASGuard helicopters approached the known border crossing, two of the Mexican helicopters turned towards them and began firing from 20 mm Gatling gun pods mounted on both sides of each aircraft.

  General Roman ordered the Black Hawks to engage the enemy and the Chinooks to land ahead of the convoy to intercept the border crossers. He had the pilot patch him through the radio and sent out a call to ASGuard Headquarters to dispatch additional aircraft and personnel to their location. Switching frequencies, he contacted the National Guard and Border Patrol units near their location and requested their response as well.

  As the Chinooks turned toward their landing spot, the general's aircraft took a couple of hits. A piece of shrapnel struck Titus a glancing blow to his right leg. Terry reached into her kit and quickly began to clean and dress the wound.

  The Chinooks landed behind a low ridge and the ASGuard troops deployed along the ridge overlooking the oncoming convoy. With a slight limp, General Roman deployed with the ASGuard carrying his rifle and a bullhorn. As the convoy approached, the general called out over the bullhorn for the vehicles to turn back. He repeated the warning several times in Spanish and English. Two of the three armored personnel carriers moved forward and their gunners strafed the ridge with machine gun fire. General Roman gave them one final warning over the bullhorn only to be cut off by another burst machine gun fire.

  "Well, that was certainly rude of them," he said with a smile to his team. "Marcus, take Alpha Squad. See if you can reach that higher ridge just south of here. That should give your snipers an angle on the weapons atop those APCs. Captain Frankowski, you and your squad will move north along this ridge. Have your snipers take out the engines on those trucks."

  As the ground battle heated up, the air battle was winding down. The Black Hawks had heavily damaged two of the copters and were driving the third south of the border. With the air threat removed, the lead Black Hawk pilot contacted General Roman for orders. "Do a strafing run east to west across the insurgents path. Then get out north of them and be prepared to provide fire support. We're gonna see if we can't get their attention."

  Marcus signaled Alpha Squad was in position as did Frankowski for Bravo Squad. General Roman radioed back, "Gentlemen, pick your targets and show 'em we mean business."

  Each ASGuard squad had two two-person sniper teams equipped with Barrett M107 .50 caliber sniper rifles. The snipers were highly trained, proficient, and deadly and the M107s were the perfect weapons for their trade. Their spotters were equally well trained and able to locate the target and communicate the pertinent data to the shooter clearly and concisely.

  Marcus watched as the snipers and their spotters took their positions and gave them a thumbs-up to proceed. Seconds later, the first rifle barked and the machine gun in the first APC took a round through the ammo box, setting off several rounds within. The second rifle fired and the receiver of machine gun in the second APC exploded. In the quiet between shots, Marcus could hear the first sniper say "Show off" to the second.

  Frankowski's sniper teams were busy as well. The first team's first shot penetrated the limited armor in front of the radiator of the lead truck. The round passed through the radiator and penetrated into the engine which died instantly. The second team, located slightly south of their comrades, had a line of sight on the right side engine compartment cover of the second truck. Their shot punched through the cover, through the engine, and out the other side of the vehicle.

  As the first two trucks ground to a halt, the remaining trucks began to bunch up behind them. Marcus ordered his sniper teams to take out the engines on the last two trucks in the line. Two shots rang out in rapid succession and the engines of those two trucks suddenly dumped their oil onto the ground. With the lead and rear trucks out of commission, the middle vehicles were unable to move forward or turn around and retreat to the border. Nor could the third APC pull up to press the attack on the ASGuard troops.

  General Roman picked up the microphone to the bullhorn and called out, "Throw down your weapons, dismount, and surrender!" in Spanish and English. The two lead APCs tried to make a run for it by heading north but multiple bursts of 20 mm Gatling gun fire from the three ASGuard Black Hawks convinced the APC drivers it wouldn't work.

  Personnel began toss their weapons from the cabs and rear of the trucks and from the APCs. They then stepped down from the vehicles with their hands over their heads. The men and women were dressed in a mixture of civilian and military clothing. General Roman called over the bullhorn for them to move toward the ASGuard troops ten meters then kneel down with their legs crossed at the ankles. Once the insurgents obeyed, the general ordered the three ASGuard Black Hawks to orbit their position then he ordered Bravo Squad to move up to apprehend the insurgents while Alpha Squad provided cover.

  As his personnel prepared to carry out their assignments, the general received a radio message that six additional ASGuard helicopters were inbound and Border Patrol ground units were just minutes away. "We've got to be able to respond faster than this!" he said shaking his head. When the new copters came into sight, he ordered them to take up station above the captured and the three Black Hawks from his flight to return to base for refueling and re-arming.

  With the arrival of additional personnel, the searching and securing of the prisoners moved faster. General Roman and the personnel of Alpha Squad joined th
e others as the inspection of the vehicles began. Several of the trucks were carrying bundles of marijuana and cocaine. Others were transporting dozens of illegal immigrants who were still cowering in the vehicles in fear. A few men and women, and lots of kids, mostly teenagers...were helped from the vehicles and lined up on the side opposite the coyotes and the Mexican Army troops. The ASGuard and BP personnel noticed quite a few of the men and young men were trying to hide gang tattoos commonly found on gangs in Colombia, Guatemala, and other Central and South American countries.

  General Roman walked over to the captives in military uniforms. He carefully examined their uniforms for rank, name tags, and unit patches. The highest ranking man was a captain who identified himself as Capitan Umberto Ruiz Suarez and demanded to be placed in contact with his commanding officer so that he could register a complaint against General Roman and his troops.

  Major General Titus Roman stood quietly in front of the Mexican officer waiting for his list of demands to taper off. When the man finally shut up, Titus asked him, "So which cartel are you working with? Who is your contact within that organization?" Titus watched the man very closely. When asked the second question, the man's eyes suddenly shifted to an older man off to the left before snapping forward once more. "Gracias," Titus said then turned to step over the fellow the captain had eyed.

  "So, you are with the cartels?" General Roman asked the man.

  The man muttered a string of obscenities in Spanish then began to work up enough spittle to spit at the general. Before he could do so, Titus stepped forward on his good leg and brought his injured right leg forward. The sole of his boot caught the man squarely in the chest and pushed him over backwards.

  Titus held the man pinned to the ground. "Don't even think about it. I didn't put up with it from better men than you and I won't put up with it now. Captain Frankowski, pick this piece of shit up, photograph and print him, and then contact the Arizona Drug Enforcement Agency. See if they know who he is and find out how bad they may want him."