California National Guard troops have started training with the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to be camera operators, radio dispatchers, intelligence analysts and fill other support roles to free up more agents to patrol the Mexican border.

Maj. Kimberly Holman told The Associated Press on Thursday that some of the 250 troops who volunteered for the call to help Border Patrol agents started their on-the-job training Thursday after meeting their Border Patrol supervisors in San Diego. Depending on their jobs, some could begin officially working as soon as Sunday.

Gov. Jerry Brown agreed to contribute 400 troops to the National Guard's deployment to the Mexican border to help go after drugs, guns and criminal gangs — not immigrants

Holman says troops volunteered for the mission to keep California safe.