The military was very active along the Arizona border this year. Many people were upset at the “deployment” of the military in some areas, but few people understand what they are doing. They have not been conducting patrols or arresting border crossers. Instead, they have been working on repairing bad roads, fixing holes in the fence, and, in limited numbers, manning observation post. It is not common knowledge that the military has worked on construction projects on the border for years. Actually, most of the current wall sections and vehicle barriers have been built by the military over the past decades. Throughout the 1990s the military patrolled parts of the border, but in a limited fashion, and in support of the Border Patrol. In this image, Marines take a break along the border west of Naco, Ariz., where they were working to improve a road.