Photo By Sgt. Christina Clardy | AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas National Guard Counterdrug Task Force held a Change of...... read more read more
The Texas National Guard Joint Counterdrug Task Force held a change of responsibility ceremony as U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. James Cobb assumed authority from U.S. Army Lt. Col. Erika Besser on May 5, 2022, at Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas.
The outgoing Counterdrug Coordinator, Besser, joined the Texas Counterdrug program in 2020 just before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. She guided the program through the subsequent restrictions and support missions while the program remained active and consistent in its support of law enforcement agencies across the state.
“The Texas Counterdrug program is crucial to the counter-narcotic mission in this state,” said Besser. “The support our program provides to the counterdrug efforts and law enforcement agencies is essential in a state this size with the amount of border and coastline distance it contains. This program and our members have assets and unique skills that can greatly aid law enforcement agencies in this war on drugs.”
In the past two years, Besser and the program have been credited in their law enforcement support with more than 760 million dollars in illicit revenue denial.
“There are so many amazing people working in this task force who are truly invested in this mission,” said Besser. “They are dedicated to serving the people, the communities, and the law enforcement agencies - local, state and federal.”
The National Guard Counterdrug Program was established by congressional legislation in 1989. Since then, the Texas Counterdrug program has provided support and education for two-thirds of the U.S.-Mexico border at 1,254 miles of border, 28 international bridges and border crossings, more than 14 million acres of southwest desert area, and 367 miles of coastline. Texas has some of the main smuggling routes and trans-shipment points for major drug trafficking organizations.
“The counterdrug program is important in a variety of ways,” said Cobb, the incoming Counterdrug Coordinator. “We provide militarily unique capabilities, such as analysis support, training, and reconnaissance and observation to our law enforcement partners to enhance their abilities to successfully investigate drug crimes perpetrated by domestic and transnational criminal organizations.
“We also conduct educational outreach activities to schools and youth organizations to heighten their awareness on the dangers of drug use.”
Besser set one of her goals at the beginning of her time as the Counterdrug Coordinator to create a new counterdrug training school here in Texas like the five other schools in Pennsylvania, Florida, Mississippi, Iowa, and Washington.
“Texas has an enormous number of law enforcement agencies across the state, and our Counterdrug program should feel obligated to open a schoolhouse here in this state to better serve those agencies,” Besser said. “Having a training facility and counterdrug training closer to the agencies can benefit any agency of any size.
“Our mission at this program is to support to the best of our ability, and one way we can achieve this is by bringing a counterdrug school closer to the thousands of agencies here in Texas.”
Cobb says that he is ready to continue building on the great work Besser and the Texas Counterdrug task force have accomplished throughout the past three decades.
“As with most organizations, and ours is no different, funding is a constant challenge,” said Cobb. “I will be working with the National Guard Bureau as we seek to grow and expand to new areas and law enforcement agencies. Our schoolhouse initiative is a key priority item to add to our program portfolio.”
For the new counterdrug coordinator, growth and perseverance will be critical for the future of the program.
“Onward and upward,” said Cobb. “This is a great program full of great people. We need to continue to enhance, expand, and hone our skillsets to meet the needs of our law enforcement partners in a rapidly evolving, dynamic environment of criminal investigations.”
The Texas Counterdrug task force detects, interdicts, and disrupts drug smuggling and associated illicit activities at the request of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies by leveraging unique military skills and assets in order to support national counterdrug strategies and objectives.
“The counterdrug program has showcased Texans helping Texans by utilizing unique skillsets to assist in conducting the war on drugs,” he continues. “I am proud to take on the leadership of this program and help build it to continue serving the great state of Texas and the people who live here.”
| Date Taken: | 05.06.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.12.2022 14:50 |
| Story ID: | 420589 |
| Location: | AUSTIN, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 314 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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