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.

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.

Army Cpls. Andrew Parlatl and Angel Garcia load an M249 squad automatic weapon during Exercise Southern Vanguard 25 in Antuco, Chile, Aug. 26, 2025. The U.S.-Chilean exercise, which also includes participants from Argentina and Peru, strengthens interoperability, shared readiness and mutual trust while advancing regional security and cooperation across the Western Hemisphere.

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.

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.

Army Pfc. Daniel Flores, left, and Spc. Evan Card, both assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, mount an M2A1 machine gun to an M1114 Humvee before a gunnery exercise at Doña Ana Training Complex, N.M., Aug. 21, 2025.

Marines assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border prepare concertina to place atop previously laid barbed wire on the southern border barrier in Yuma, Ariz., Aug. 19, 2025.

Navy Seaman Ernesto Cruz, left, assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, conducts an interagency medical evacuation training exercise in Yuma, Ariz., Aug. 15, 2025.

Marine Corps Cpls. Christian Trudeau, left, and Israel Garcia, both assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, place concertina wire on the southern border barrier in Yuma, Ariz., Aug. 19, 2025.

Marine Corps Cpls. Christian Trudeau, left, and Israel Garcia, both assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, place concertina wire on the southern border barrier in Yuma, Ariz., Aug. 19, 2025.

Army Staff Sgt. Cody Solomon, right, assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, hoists a simulated casualty onto an Army UH-60 Black Hawk during casualty evacuation training in Yuma, Ariz., Aug. 16, 2025.