The first few dozen National Guard soldiers have taken up their observation posts along the Texas-Mexico border, according to Texas National Guard Master Sgt. Ken Walker of the Joint Counterdrug Task Force. The troops are part of the 1,000 or so soldiers Gov. Rick Perry called for last month to help secure the border. The troops have been specially trained to man the observation towers and their goal is to serve as extra eyes and report suspicious behavior to authorities. Some 63,000 unaccompanied children, dubbed “border kids,” have been arrested crossing the border illegally between last October and July, creating a crisis that has heightened calls for immigration reform.