OPINION:
Last week, U.S. National Guardsmen and Mexican authorities witnessed a drowning migrant while crossing the Rio Grande river in Eagle Pass, Texas. The incident, which was captured on video, depicted Nicaraguan radio broadcaster Calixto Rojas crying out for help while other migrants shouted in a panic, but soldiers stood motionless ashore.
The Fox News journalist who captured the video said the soldiers told him that after the recent death of SPC Bishop Evans — who heroically died trying to save a drowning migrant — they were ordered not to conduct water rescues. The Texas Military Department confirmed this to the Times, saying, “for their own safety, all Service Members assigned to security points along the border are not authorized to enter the water.”
As a fellow journalist, I feel sympathy for Mr. Rojas since he fled Nicaragua amidst death threats from the Sandinista regime after attending an anti-Ortega rally. Having served in the U.S. Army Reserves, I feel compassion for the soldiers who had to restrain themselves from saving a life since soldiers are trained to help others and often want to do so.
While the military’s current guidance may avert physical risk for service members, it may have other, unintended consequences because it feels inconsistent with the seven Army values: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. The Army also has a soldier’s creed, which calls upon service members to be a “guardian of freedom and the American way of life,” preaching they are to “never leave a fallen comrade behind.”
I learned these values while training to become a military officer at Fort Benning, Georgia, after I joined the U.S. Army Reserve as a judge advocate. They are something every soldier embraces, and implementing protocols in conflict with these values could create feelings of powerlessness, confusion and self-doubt.
In Army terms, respect means soldiers should “treat others with dignity and respect while respecting others to do the same.” Integrity means soldiers are supposed to “do what’s right, legally and morally.” Personal courage means soldiers are expected to “face fear, danger or adversity (physical or moral).” Leaving innocent civilians to die without helping — if a soldier feels they can do so — is inconsistent with these values and “the American way of life” prescribed in the soldier’s creed.
Texas State Rep. Ray Lopez who also served in the U.S. Army Reserve suggested the guidance goes against the values of what soldiers are taught to do, saying, “You don’t want to ask anybody that’s a first responder to do something above and beyond what it is that you have trained them and equipped them for,” he said. “We haven’t trained them to do what’s instinctive,” he said. “Shame on us for not training them to do it.”
Fortunately, the military is now distributing the 235 throw bags it has on hand to 64 different locations where 1,600 soldiers are stationed, and announced training will begin immediately. This training is critical since soldiers have reportedly conducted at least 15 water rescues a month since Lone Star began a year ago. To that end, there have been many successful courageous rescues by our men and women in uniform, and those service members who feel confident in their lifesaving and swimming abilities should not be restrained from doing what soldiers do best — helping others. The reason for this is twofold.
First, although some Americans may not feel U.S. service members should put themselves at risk to rescue migrants illegally crossing the border, I believe most soldiers feel differently. While the military has its ups and downs, the one thing that never changes is the character of those serving. I can’t think of a single soldier I served with who wouldn’t want to do all they could do to help anyone whenever and wherever they can.
Many situations can cause soldiers anguish, which is why the Army has trainings and protocols to promote soldier wellness and suicide prevention. Last month the Army’s Defense Suicide Prevention Office reported that the military branch saw a peak in suicides greater than any year since the Sept. 11 attacks. The active component of the branch saw 174 confirmed or pending suicide deaths in 2020 and 176 in 2021, its highest level since the Great Depression at 36.18 per 100,000.
When the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan last year, many soldiers were deeply concerned about the fate of innocent Afghans left behind. The Army Times reported this took a “psychological toll on troops.”
Second, the situation at the border is understandably complex and has placed an undue burden on the residents of border states and the U.S. Service Members assigned to protect them. Although migrants should not cross the border illegally, they are still our fellow human beings and most of them are coming because they want to pursue the American dream, not because they wish us harm. We can and should effectively enforce immigration law — but with dignity, compassion and respect.
While we must protect our soldiers from unnecessary physical risks, we must also shield them from emotional and psychological ones by empowering them to demonstrate their honor and personal courage with the equipment, training and authority necessary to do so.
• Jeffrey Scott Shapiro is a former Washington prosecutor and the former director of the U.S. Office of Cuba Broadcasting. He is currently the assistant commentary editor for The Washington Times.
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