DOW Support to the Southern Border

Airmen assigned to the Vermont Air National Guard's 158th Fighter Wing return to South Burlington, Vermont, Sept. 6, 2026, following an overseas deployment to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

Soldiers and airmen assigned to the Montana National Guard train with U.S. Air Force personnel and members of the Sri Lankan military in disaster response operations during Exercise Atlas Angel II in Sri Lanka, Sept. 3, 2026. The exercise allows participants to share techniques in urban search and rescue, landslide response, casualty evacuation and other emergency response capabilities.

Airmen assigned to the California National Guard's 163rd Civil Engineer Squadron work on upgrades at Seward Military Resort in Seward, Alaska, Aug. 12, 2026, during a deployment for training. The event allowed airmen to upgrade a morale, welfare and recreation facility while completing training requirements to prepare them to perform their duties in overseas and deployed environments.

A soldier participates in sling-load training aboard a South Carolina Army National Guard CH-47F Chinook helicopter at Fort Bragg, N.C., Aug. 25, 2026.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Keith Reiswig uses equipment to load water in Honolulu, Sept. 1, 2026. Soldiers assigned to Task Force Hawaii loaded and transported pallets of donated Waiakea Water from Hilo to the Naalehu community to support recovery efforts in the Kau District. The donation of 1,680 bottles of water provided an essential resource to families impacted by Tropical Cyclone Lala.

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.

Mississippi National Guardsmen assigned to Joint Task Force District of Columbia patrol the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington, Aug. 24, 2026. About 4,300 guardsmen are supporting the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission, helping the Metropolitan Police Department ensure the safety of residents, commuters and visitors.

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.

Army Sgt. James Stout, a cavalry scout assigned to the 1st Squadron, 180th Cavalry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, fires on a simulated enemy target during the culminating combined platoon live-fire event of Exercise Pahlawan Warrior 2026 at Penanjong Garrison, Brunei, Aug. 20, 2026. The bilateral exercise between U.S. Army Pacific and the Royal Brunei Land Force is designed to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation in the Pacific.

Army Spc. Rebecca Brunson, a South Carolina National Guard soldier assigned to Joint Task Force District of Columbia supporting the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission, hands out stickers to children visiting the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Aug. 20, 2026.

Service members fire pistols during the 55th Winston P. Wilson and 35th Armed Forces Skill at Arms Meeting Machine Gun Championship at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Ark., Aug. 18, 2026. The event tests competitors through challenging courses of fire designed to evaluate marksmanship fundamentals, weapons handling and readiness.

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.

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.

An Alabama Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter hoists a service member during Operation Tuskegee Thunder at Dannelly Field, Ala., Aug. 13, 2026. The training strengthened coordination between Army aviation and Air National Guard personnel for rotary-wing evacuation operations.

West Virginia Army National Guardsmen conduct a night fire mission during Exercise Northern Strike 26-2 at the National All-Domain Warfighting Center in Grayling, Mich., Aug. 10, 2026. The joint training strengthened fire support integration and battlefield coordination as part of the exercise to build readiness and enhance interoperability.

Air Force Senior Airman Mason Johnson conducts munitions familiarization training at Jacksonville Air National Guard Base, Fla., Aug. 11, 2026. The training provided airmen assigned to the 125th Fighter Wing hands-on experience with mission-essential procedures outside their primary specialties.

Soldiers assigned to the West Virginia National Guard fire howitzers under limited-light conditions during a Northern Strike 26-2 live-fire mission at the National All-Domain Warfighting Center in Grayling, Mich., Aug. 10, 2026. Northern Strike is a multicomponent, multinational exercise designed to build readiness and enhance interoperability among participating forces.

Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 182nd Field Artillery Regiment, Michigan National Guard, fire an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System during a live-fire exercise as part of Northern Strike 26-2 at Camp Grayling, Mich., Aug. 7, 2026. Northern Strike is a multicomponent, multinational exercise designed to build readiness and enhance interoperability among participating forces.

Soldiers assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group cross Lake Huron alongside Air National Guard personnel to begin training at Charity Island, Mich., during Northern Strike, Aug. 7, 2026. Northern Strike is an Army-sponsored, multicomponent, multinational exercise designed to build readiness and enhance interoperability.