If Abbott is permanently going to keep deploying the NG down to the border as much as he can to get Trump’ attention, it won’t be absolutely horrible like you would imagine, but it will be full of people who are not there…because they want to be or see it as beneficial. I have a feeling it will skew heavily towards folks who are trying to hit a certain number of years or those on break from active duty meaning they finished their enlistment contract, but want to maintain a connection while they get a degree, etc. and then go back to active duty later on.
Like I said, people who want to do border patrol will join the real deal and make more money and build a career, and not be left hanging/dealing with having a home in say Dallas or Lubbock, and dealing with civilian jobs under the sporadic nature of these deployments.
College students? That number will drop quite a bit, because the chances for your education being fucked up are too great. People have already bitched about losing credits or putting school on hold. Those with decent jobs? Why stay a part of Abbott’s failed attempt to seek attention?
It won’t be the dregs of society or anything, but it will be people who are punching the military version of the time clock. Institutional knowledge will be lost.