DOW Support to the Southern Border

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth greets employees at Boeing Defense, Space & Security headquarters in St. Louis as part of his Arsenal of Freedom tour, Feb. 18, 2026.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth tours a defense company in Louisville, Colo., during the Arsenal of Freedom tour, Feb. 23, 2026.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth tours a defense innovation company in Los Angeles, Jan. 9, 2026.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth tours static displays at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, Jan. 12, 2026, during his Arsenal of Freedom tour.

Marines assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border walk along the southern border during a patrol in El Centro, Calif., Feb. 4, 2026.

Soldiers assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border operate an M30 bridge erection boat while conducting maritime patrols in the Rio Grande in McAllen, Texas, Jan. 9, 2026.

Marine Corps Pfc. Jacob Matura, a rifleman assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, prepares concertina wire during barrier reinforcement operations in Yuma, Ariz., Jan. 2, 2026.

Soldiers assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border load onto a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during a National Defense Area signage emplacement operation in Imperial County, Calif., Jan. 6, 2026.

A soldier assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border uses binoculars during a patrol in Yuma, Ariz., Jan. 5, 2026. During the patrol, soldiers installed National Defense Area 5 signs in a recently designated area along the border.

Soldiers assigned to the Florida National Guard conduct presence patrols in Washington, Jan. 16, 2026, in support of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission.

Soldiers assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border prepare to patrol the Rio Grande aboard an M30 bridge erection boat in McAllen, Texas, Jan. 9, 2026.

Soldiers assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border load an M30 bridge erection boat in McAllen, Texas, Jan. 9, 2026. The boat is well-suited for areas along the Rio Grande, where terrain limits ground mobility. Joint Task Force Southern Border is supporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection to achieve 100% operational control of the southern border.

A soldier assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border put triple strand concertina wire onto mountainous terrain along the border near El Centro, Calif., Dec. 26, 2025.

Soldiers assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border put triple strand concertina wire onto mountainous terrain along the border near El Centro, Calif., Dec. 26, 2025.

Soldiers assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border put triple strand concertina wire onto mountainous terrain along the border near El Centro, Calif., Dec. 26, 2025.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff and their Senior Enlisted Advisors pose for a photo in the Pentagon, Jan. 5, 2026. Front, left to right: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine; Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Christopher J. Mahoney. Back, left to right: Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Randy A. George; Sergeant Major of the Army Michael R. Weimer; Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric M. Smith; Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlos A. Ruiz; Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle; Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John P. Perryman; Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman David L. Isom; Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach; Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David R. Wolfe; Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman; Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John F. Bentivegna; and Chief of the National Guard Bureau Gen. Steven S. Nordhaus.

Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff pose for a photo in the Pentagon, January 5, 2026. Front, left to right: Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Gen. Christopher J. Mahoney, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Back, left to right: Gen. Randy A. George, Chief of Staff of the Army; Gen. Eric M. Smith, Commandant of the Marine Corps; Adm. Daryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations; Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach, Chief of Staff of the Air Force; Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations; and Gen. Steven S. Nordhaus, Chief of the National Guard Bureau.

A soldier assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border interacts with a member of U.S. Customs and Border Protection during a joint patrol in El Centro, Calif., Dec. 31, 2025.

A Marine assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border puts a post for a National Defense Area sign into the ground in El Centro, Calif., Dec. 26, 2025. This marks the fifth such area established along the southern border.

Coast Guardsmen conduct unmanned aircraft systems training aboard the Cutter Robert Ward off the coast of San Pedro, Calif., Dec. 18, 2025. The training expands the crew's operational reach and sharpens response capabilities while saving time and resources.