Pubdate: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 Source: Dallas Morning News Contact: David LaGesse / The Dallas Morning News Website: http://www.dallasnews.com MILITARY BORDER PROJECTS TO TARGET DRUG TRAFFICKING Efforts continue after teen shot, patrols halted WASHINGTON U.S. troops plan two major construction projects along the TexasMexico border that officials say will help antidrug efforts. Starting in January, about 600 Marines and Army soldiers will upgrade roads, build a helicopter pad and add other improvements requested by the U.S. Border Patrol, said Maureen Bossch, a spokeswoman for Joint Task Force 6 in El Paso. The task force has coordinated a number of such projects along the border as part of the Pentagon's effort to support Border Patrol and Customs agents. The construction projects, including a recent road project in California, have continued despite the suspension of military reconnaissance patrols along the frontier. The Pentagon suspended the foot patrols after a unit of Marines shot a teenager who was herding his family's goats near Redford on May 20. A grand jury declined to indict the Marine's unit leader, who said the troops fired only after the teenager shot his rifle in their direction. Now the Marines plan to improve 42 miles of dirt road about 80 miles north of Redford, outside the small community of Candelaria, said Border Patrol Chief Simon Garza in Marfa. The Border Patrol held a town meeting in Marfa on Monday to solicit community support for the project, which comes after three years of planning. Some residents expressed concern about the military presence, particularly in light of the Redford shooting, Chief Garza said. "I told them the two things have nothing in common," he said. The Marine reconnaissance unit was armed and operated covertly when the shooting occurred. The Marine engineers will carry no arms and are improving a road that the county also wanted fixed but couldn't afford to repair. "The road is so bad that our vehicles get damaged when they patrol that area," Chief Garza said. About 250 Marines will rotate through the project, which is expected to take three months. Not all of the troops will be on site at the same time. Near Laredo, meanwhile, about 350 Army troops will rotate through a threemonth project to improve about 62 miles of rough road along the border, Ms. Bossch said. The troops also will build a helicopter pad and perhaps shore up an observation tower used by the Border Patrol. The military draws the troops from engineering units that volunteer for the field experience. "The troops love it," Ms. Bossch said. "There's only so many times that you can build up and tear down a building on base before it begins to lose its training value."