DOW Support to the Southern Border

Soldiers assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border supporting Operation Ardent Vanguard attach a sling load to the hook below a CH-47 Chinook helicopter at Biggs Army Airfield, Fort Bliss, Texas, Aug. 26, 2026. Service members assigned to the task force provide unique military capabilities to protect the territorial integrity of the U.S. southern border.

Army Sgt. Benjamin Cordova and Spc. Daniel Gutierrez, both assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border supporting Operation Ardent Vanguard, operate a C100X monitoring drone during low-light conditions near Eagle Pass, Texas, Aug. 20, 2026. The aerial monitoring supports efforts to detect, monitor and deter unlawful crossings into the United States.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Benjamin Gonzales, a motor vehicle operator assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border in support of Operation Ardent Vanguard, helps install concertina wire on a secondary expeditionary barrier in Nogales, Ariz., Aug. 19, 2026.

Two MH-65 Dolphin helicopters and a 29-foot response boat assigned to Coast Guard Station Washington conduct operational maneuvers during a capabilities demonstration on the Potomac River near the nation's capital, Aug. 20, 2026.

Army Spc. Domenic Hruby, assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, reinforces a barrier by welding "crow's feet" rods to its upper edge at a national defense area near Santa Teresa, N.M., Aug. 12, 2026. U.S. Northern Command is working with the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to provide unique military capabilities to protect the territorial integrity of the U.S. southern border.

Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Joshua Law is lowered from an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter to the aft deck of the cutter Blackfin during training off Long Beach, Calif., Aug. 12, 2026. Coast Guard aviation survival technicians are trained emergency medical technicians who are lowered from helicopter to aid survivors in emergency situations.

Sailors check for foreign objects on the flight deck of the littoral combat ship USS Cooperstown as the ship transits the Gulf of America, July 4, 2026. The ship was supporting efforts to protect the territorial integrity of the U.S. southern border.

Crews of a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and a 38-foot training boat participate in a search and rescue demonstration in Womens Bay, Alaska, Aug. 11, 2026. The demonstration showcased coordinated air and maritime skills that Coast Guard crews use in vast and challenging environments.

A U.S. Coast Guard boat and Colombian and Ecuadorian navy boats participate in Pacific Ocean pursuit training during Panamax 2026 near Panama, Aug. 10, 2026. The exercise sharpens defense and public security forces' interoperability, hones skills during all-domain operations and deters threats in the region.

The Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team West and Panamanian personnel participate in maritime interdiction training during Exercise Panamax 2026 in Panama City, Aug. 7, 2026. The exercise improves interoperability and strengthens the capacity for complex multinational, all-domain operations in the region.

Soldiers assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border place concertina wire on top of barriers at National Defense Area 2 near Fort Hancock, Texas, Aug. 6, 2026. The barrier reinforcement operation enhances detection and observation capabilities along the U.S. southern border.

The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Robert Ward alongside Mexican, Ecuadorian, Colombian and Panamanian vessels conduct tactical signaling training during Panamax in the Pacific Ocean near Panama, Aug. 7, 2026. The exercise was designed to improve interoperability, sharpen skills and demonstrate the ability to respond and deter threats to the region and its critical waterways.

A member of the Coast Guard Women's Rugby Team carries the ball up field while being chased by members of the Navy Women's Rugby Team during a match in Annapolis, Md., Aug. 2, 2026.

Marines assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border reinforce concertina wire along the southern barrier in Naco, Ariz., July 31, 2026. Barrier reinforcement operations ensure sustained protection and observation capabilities along the U.S. southern border.

Army Sgt. Justin Masterson, left, and Spc. Vladimir Alves, assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, retrieve a Skydio X10D small unmanned aircraft system after an aerial observation in Rio Grande Valley, Texas, July 23, 2026. The unmanned system helps detect illegal crossings and enhances aerial monitoring capabilities to protect the territorial integrity of the U.S. southern border.

Navy, Coast Guard and ships from allied and partner nations sail together during Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2026, July 22, 2026. Thirty nations, 30 ships, five submarines, 15 national land forces, more than 190 aircraft and more than 30,000 personnel are participating in the exercise, held in and around the Hawaiian Islands.

Mexican Border Defense Medals are displayed during a ceremony honoring soldiers assigned to the 4th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) at Joint Base San Antonio, June 15, 2026. This image was cropped to emphasize the subject and adjusted for color and light.

Army Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commander of 1st Armored Division and Joint Task Force Southern Border, observes a motion sensor array with soldiers and a U.S. Border Patrol agent near Fort Hancock, Texas, July 18, 2026. The sensor array detects suspected illegal entry into the Joint Operations Area and notifies Border Patrol agents.

Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrew Stevens and Petty Officer 2nd Class Chaz Russel deploy an air/sea rescue kit during Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2026 at U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii, July 21, 2026. The training fosters international partnership and maritime security.

Army Sgt. Mauri Sanchez and Staff Sgt. Chris Wright, assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, demonstrate the C-100 capabilities during an unmanned aerial observation in Del Rio, Texas, July 3, 2026. The unmanned aircraft system helps detect illegal crossings and enhance aerial monitoring capabilities.