Pentagon stops calling Mexico border mission ‘Operation Faithful Patriot’

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon quietly stops calling the deployment of troops to the US-Mexico border “Operation Faithful Patriot,” dropping the name even as thousands of American forces head to southern Texas, Arizona and California.

According to US officials, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis directed the department to stop using the name and simply describe the mission as military operations on the border. The change was ordered early this week, but no reason was given.

Lt. Col. Jamie Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, would only say that the department is no longer using the name. But other US officials say Mattis didn’t like the name and believed it was distracting from the troops’ actual mission, which is in support of the border patrol.

The name hasn’t been formally changed or rescinded, but the Pentagon has stopped using it in press releases and documents.

Pentagon officials rolled out the name last month after US President Donald Trump controversially ordered thousands of active duty troops to the southwest border in response to a caravan of migrant families walking slowly north through Mexico toward the US. As of Wednesday, more than 5,600 troops have been deployed to Texas, Arizona and California and are mainly in staging bases. Only about 500 troops are actively supporting operations on the border, and many of those have been installing coils of razor wire and erecting tents to house US troops and border patrol.

— AP