DOD Support to the Southern Border

Soldiers assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border execute a radio check to establish secure communications for mission support near Santa Teresa, N.M., Aug. 21, 2025.

Army 1st Lt. Jacob Quinn, assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, adjusts an AN/PVS-14 monocular night vision device during a pre-flight check near Santa Teresa, N.M., Aug. 18, 2025.

Army Sgt. Hannah Kinder, assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, conducts pre-flight exterior checks on a UH-72A Lakota helicopter near Santa Teresa, N.M., Aug. 18, 2025.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, operates in the Norwegian Sea above the Arctic Circle, Aug. 30, 2025.

Sailors participate in physical conditioning as part of the Naval Undersea Medical Institute in Groton, Conn., Aug. 28, 2025. The regimen encompasses a blend of aquatic and land-based exercises aimed at priming candidates to successfully navigate the diver physical screening test.

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Davis Callaham loads a mounted gun on an MH-60S Sea Hawk aboard the USS George Washington while underway in the Pacific Ocean, Aug. 26, 2025.

A Navy MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron14, prepares to land onto the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln during Exercise Northern Edge, Aug. 22, 2025. The Indo-Pacific Command-led exercise provides high-end, realistic warfighter training that sharpens air and sea-based combat readiness.

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Brendan Turkett, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4, helps Marines with welding work on the front gate of the Pohnpei Public Library as part of Koa Moana 25 in Kolonia, Micronesia, Aug. 26, 2025. Koa Moana is an annual partnership in the Indo-Pacific region that strengthens established relationships, bolsters theater security cooperation and enhances the resilience of U.S. allies and partners through community outreach, medical and civic assistance, infrastructure improvement projects, and key leader exchanges.

Army Capt. Maria L. L. Salcido, assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, and U.S. Border Patrol agents observe the implementation of Army Strykers along the Rio Grande river near Laredo, Texas, Aug. 15, 2025.

Marine Corps Pfc. Jorge Torralba, assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, conducts a roadway improvement practical application on a Combat Service Support Area to prepare for future roadway improvement operations in Yuma, Ariz., Aug. 23, 2025.

Army Sgts. Adam Smith, left, and Collin Doman, both assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, conduct training on the capabilities of the Black Hornet Nano drone near Laredo, Texas, Aug. 15, 2025.

Sailors assigned to the USS St. Louis perform a sea and anchor detail as the ship transits beneath the Sunshine Skyway Bridge while preventing the flow of illegal drugs or other illicit activity in Tampa, Fla., Aug. 15, 2025.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jeffrey Perezhernandez, assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, ground guides a tractor, rubber tired, articulated steering multipurpose vehicle to add dirt to the road while preparing for future roadway improvement operations in Yuma, Ariz., Aug. 23, 2025.

A Navy MH-60S Sea Hawk hovers during a search-and-rescue exercise aboard the USS George Washington in the Pacific Ocean, Aug. 27, 2025.

Army Staff Sgt. Ernesto Navarez, assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, shows retired Sgt. Maj. Eric Geressy, a senior adviser to the Defense Secretary, a long-range acoustic device employed at the southern border in El Paso, Texas, Aug. 21, 2025. The non-lethal communication and deterrent system enables soldiers to deliver clear voice commands and warning tones over long distances.

Army Lt. Col. Cris Gasperini, assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, speaks to senior advisers to the Defense Secretary during a visit to the southern border in El Paso, Texas, Aug. 21, 2025.

Army Spc. Trevor Olsen, assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, uses a night vision system to identify suspected illegal activity and sends up information to U.S. Border Patrol agents near Laredo, Texas, Aug. 15, 2025.

Army Sgt. Valory Walton, assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, establishes an observation post to provide surveillance using a night vision system and relay information to her team near Laredo, Texas, Aug. 15, 2025.

Navy aircraft fly over the USS Abraham Lincoln during Northern Edge in the North Pacific Ocean, Aug. 23, 2025. The exercise was designed to strengthen joint interoperability and sharpen air and sea-based combat readiness.

Army Pfc. Daniel Flores, assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, fires an M2A1 machine gun during a gunnery exercise at Doña Ana Training Complex, N.M., Aug. 21, 2025.