YUMA, Ariz. -- It didn’t take much persuading for Air Force Col. Wanda Wright, Joint Task Force Arizona deputy commander – Air, to take time out of an already busy schedule to spend time with Soldiers and Airmen on the U.S.-Mexico border all while raising money for a good cause.

“It started when I made an off-hand comment about the heat during Col. Hoffmeister’s (JTF-Ariz. Deputy Commander - Army) promotion back in July,” said Wright.

Commander of Task Force Yuma, Army Maj. Paul Babeu overheard her comment and with some good-natured ribbing, challenged her to stand at an Entry Identification Team (EIT) checkpoint in August.

At first, Wright declined the offer but then Babeu upped the ante offering to donate $250 dollars to the Arizona Family Assistance Fund program if Wright came out and spent a day at various checkpoints.

“Before I even fully realized what was going on, planning was involved and nearly $4,000 was on the line if I went out there and spent 24 hours with the troops on the EIT sites. With that level of support how could I refuse?” Wright said.

But that wasn’t the end of the challenges Wright would face before leaving the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (Joint Forces Headquarters).

“I was walking out the door to head down to Yuma when I stopped in the Public Affairs office,” said Wright.

“Paul, (Air Force Maj. Paul Aguirre, State Public Affairs Officer) said that if I only ate MREs (Meal Ready to Eat) while I was out there, he would throw in an additional $100 and then Kristy (Air Force Capt Kristine Munn, OJS Public Affairs Officer) said she would do the same. I told them both I would do what I could,” said Wright.
Prior to coming to Yuma, Wright attended three days of intense training to prepare her for her mission.

“I watched all the briefings on the first day,” said Wright. “Spent the second day in paintball training where they took us through several different scenarios we might encounter on the border - from an angry farmer to a mother and child UDA dehydrated looking for water. The third day was spent on M9 familiarization and qualification.”

In the early morning hours, Wright made her first stop at Forward Operating Base Cannon to sign for her weapon, Interceptor Body Armor and Kevlar. After picking up her gear, Babeu, briefed the colonel on her shift schedule.

“I told Paul (Babeu) about the MRE deal I’d made with the PA (public affairs) and he told me there was no way, he would take me out to lunch but I told him we would just wait and see,” said Wright.

Information in hand, Wright headed out to the levee along the Colorado River near the border to begin her shift and join her first EIT group.

“When they dropped me off, I asked for the MREs,” said Wright “It’s all for a good cause, so I knew I had to do it.”

During her shift, Wright and fellow team members Sgt. Jesse Benson, Ore., Spc. Todd Budd, Mo. and Pfc. Eric Mayo, Tenn. scanned the border for any individuals trying to cross illegally. OJS Soldiers and Airmen provide support to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol as their eyes and ears.

“It really meant a lot to our team that the colonel came down to experience what we do everyday,” Budd said. “She endured the heat and became one of our team.”

After a few hours, her shift over, Wright said goodbye to her first team, heading down the levee to meet her next team - all Soldiers from North Carolina. Ready to help set up the site, Wright joined Sgt. Jimmy Kincaid, Sgt. Waddell Kemp and Spc. Aida Medina. With set up complete, Wright took a break to eat her MRE. Tortellini was the specialty of the day for the colonel.

“From the time I woke up at 4 a.m., until I went to sleep at midnight, I enjoyed my time immensely with my two teams,” said Wright. “It was all worth it. Task Force Yuma made it fun and we raised over $4,000 to boot. Who could ask for more?”

Although Wright must head back to Phoenix to focus on the entire Joint Task Force mission, she leaves Task Force Yuma with first hand experience and an even greater appreciation for our Soldiers and Airmen supporting the southwest border mission.