DOD Support to the Southern Border

Army Sgt. Logan Thurber, right, and members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection discuss the progress of a barrier being built near Laredo, Texas, May 23, 2025. Under the direction of U.S. Northern Command, Joint Task Force Southern Border aligns efforts to seal the border and prevent illegal activity.

Airmen retrieve a rope after rappelling from an Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter, not pictured, during a training mission near Aviano Air Base, Italy, May 27, 2025.

Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Samuel Monahan lowers a basket from an MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter to a 45-foot response boat during training outside Los Angeles Harbor, May 26, 2025.

Marine Corps Lance Cpls. Kurt Eason, left, and Jesus Rodriguez prepare to attach barbed wire along the southern border barrier near Imperial Beach, Calif., May 29, 2025. Marines supporting U.S. Northern Command are fortifying barriers to curtail illegal crossings.

Army 2nd Lt. Kjell Pedersen, center, is awarded the Army Commendation Medal certificate by Col. Robert Harless, commander of 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, left, during a ceremony at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, May 27, 2025. The ceremony recognized soldiers for their support of Joint Task Force Southern Border.

Soldiers conduct 9-line medical evacuation training at Camp Santiago Joint Training Center, Salinas, Puerto Rico, May 29, 2025. The 9-line medevac protocol is used to communicate crucial information to the evacuation team.

An Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, not shown, hoists a soldier from a life raft during water rescue training in Arroyo, Puerto Rico, May 27, 2025.

A Navy MH-60S Sea Hawk conducts flight operations during the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group Marine Expeditionary Unit Exercise over the Atlantic Ocean, May 23, 2025. The exercise is designed to enhance operational readiness and lethality.

Soldiers carry signs and posts to mark the New Mexico National Defense Area along the southern border near Cloverdale, N.M., May 24, 2025.

Texas Air National Guard airmen tear down equipment used during Exercise Formidable Shield 25 at Keflavik Air Base, Iceland, May 22, 2025. The 147th Attack Wing flew an MQ-9 Reaper during the exercise to demonstrate its capabilities with joint and allied partners.

Soldiers prepare to hook a container of supplies to a CH-47 Chinook as part of a training exercise at Biggs Army Airfield, Fort Bliss, Texas, May 22, 2025. The sling load training is preparation for missions along the southern border to prevent illegal activity.

New Hampshire National Guard soldiers fire a high mobility artillery rocket system during the 2025 iteration of Exercise African Lion at Cap Draa, Morocco, May 23, 2025. The annual exercise brings over 50 nations together to enhance the ability to work together in complex, multi-domain operations.

Soldiers race canoes as part of physical training in Haleiwa, Hawaii, May 22, 2025.

Coast Guardsmen conduct operations in the North Atlantic Ocean, May 19, 2025. Navy assets deployed under Northern Command's maritime homeland defense authorities are performing interdiction missions to prevent illegal activity along the southern border.

A Texas National Guardsman installs concertina wire on Defense Department land in Harlingen, Texas, May 19, 2025. The barrier is meant to deter people from illegally crossing the border with Mexico.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Marquist Campbell fires an M27 infantry automatic rifle during a live-fire range event as part of Predator’s Walk at Mount Bundey Training Area, Northern Territory, Australia, May 21, 2025. The exercise was designed to further enhance small unit interoperability and combined arms capabilities in a realistic training environment.

Soldiers position a post for a New Mexico National Defense Area sign near Antelope Wells, N.M., May 20, 2025. Under the direction of U.S. Northern Command, Joint Task Force Southern Border aligns efforts to seal the border and prevent illegal activity.

The USS Bulkeley launches a Standard Missile 3 during Exercise Formidable Shield 25, the largest at-sea, live-fire exercise in the European theater, hosted by U.S. 6th Fleet.

Army paratroopers and French soldiers conduct joint chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training in Pabradė, Lithuania, May 19, 2025, during Exercise Swift Response 25 as part of the broader Defender Europe 25 framework. The training highlights cooperation, readiness and interoperability among allied forces operating in complex urban environments.

U.S. Army Cpl. Aaron Hough aims an M240B machine gun during Exercise African Lion 25 at Cap Draa, Tan-Tan, Morocco, May 16, 2025. The largest annual military exercise in Africa includes more than 50 nations, seven NATO allies and 10,000 troops for training involving multiple geographic and combatant commands.