Article snippet: A day after President the Pentagon had few answers Thursday about how the call-up would take place or how many Guardsmen could be involved. Officials did indicate that the troops would likely play mainly a support role as they've done in the past, but because planning is only in its initial stages, could not provide a timeline for their arrival, or say whether they would be armed. Asked by reporters aboard Air Force One Thursday how many National Guard members he wants on the border, the president responded, “Anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000.” Asked about the cost, Trump said, the administration is “looking at it.” “We’ll probably keep them – or a large portion of them – until the wall is built," Trump said. The president has called the border situation a "crisis" and both he and 2012 GAO report explained why the Defense Department did not want its troops carrying out law enforcement. “The National Guard mission limitations are based in part on concerns raised by both DOD and National Guard officials that civilians may not distinguish between Guardsmen and active duty military personnel in uniform, which may lead to the perception that the border is militarized," said the report. "Therefore, all arrests and seizures at the southwest land border are performed by the Border Patrol.” Lt. General Frank McKenzie, the Director of the Joint Staff said Thursday that it was still too early to determine if the Guardsmen would be armed. Mexico's Foreign Ministry s... Link to the full article to read more