DOW Support to the Southern Border

Army Sgt. Jimmy McCain, a 114th Aviation Regiment soldier assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, aims the Wingman and Pitbull counter-small unmanned aerial system toward a drone during a joint training exercise at Fort Bliss, Texas, April 9, 2026.

A sailor guides an E/A-18G Growler assigned to the "Cougars" of Electronic Attack Squadron 139 onto a catapult on the flight deck of the USS Nimitz in the Pacific Ocean, April 8, 2026. The Nimitz is deployed as part of the Southern Seas 2026 exercise, which seeks to enhance capability and strengthen maritime partnerships in the Caribbean and Central and South America.

An Ecuadorian Air Force Embraer A-29 Super Tucano flies alongside a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet above the USS Nimitz during a bilateral maritime engagement in the Pacific Ocean, April 8, 2026. The USS Nimitz is deployed as part of Southern Seas, an exercise designed to enhance capability, improve interoperability and strengthen maritime partnerships with countries in the region through joint, multinational and interagency exchanges and cooperation.

Army Spc. Victor Gonzalez, assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, scans the terrain during an exfiltration mission in Arizona, April 4, 2026. The task force, under U.S. Northern Command, provides aerial support to the Border Patrol to protect U.S. territorial integrity.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Cassandra Ortiz, assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, sets up concertina wire during barrier reinforcement operations to prevent unauthorized crossings in Nogales, Ariz., April 6, 2026. U.S. Northern Command is working with the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to protect the territorial integrity of the U.S. southern border.

The USS Fitzgerald breaks away from Royal Canadian Navy combat support ship MV Asterix after a replenishment-at-sea during the Australian navy-led Exercise Kakadu in the Tasman Sea, March 30, 2026. The exercise provides regional partners an opportunity to participate in multinational maritime activities.

A soldier engages targets from a concealed firing position during Operation Pathways at Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, March 29, 2026. The operation is a series of exercises designed to strengthen interoperability with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Army Sgt. Rafael Rodriguez, assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Border, performs maintenance checks on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., March 28, 2026.

Army pilots and crew aboard a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Border depart Fort Huachuca, Ariz., March 28, 2026.

Marines assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Border attach triple-strand concertina wire to a barrier during reinforcement operations in Yuma, Ariz., March 25, 2026.

Marine Corps Cpl. Diego Balog-Garcia, assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Border, uses a tie-gun to secure triple-strand concertina wire to a barrier during reinforcement operations in Yuma, Ariz., March 25, 2026.

Sailors conduct a change of command ceremony above the USS Nimitz during Southern Seas in the Pacific Ocean, March 28, 2026. The exercise was designed to enhance capability, improve interoperability and strengthen maritime partnerships.

Air Force Master Sgt. Matthew Chouinard inspects optics inside an ophthalmic operating microscope at Georgetown Public Hospital Corp. in Guyana, March 20, 2026. The work helped restore critical medical equipment during Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team, a U.S. Air Forces Southern-led health security cooperation engagement that brought U.S. and partner-nation medical professionals together to deliver care and strengthen regional health capacity.

Air Force Maj. Samuel Hobbs, an ophthalmologist assigned to the 59th Medical Wing, right, advises Dr. Arlene Bobb-Semple, a Guyanese retina surgeon, during a vitrectomy at Georgetown Public Hospital, Guyana, March 18, 2026. As part of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission, U.S. medical personnel are embedded with health care teams to provide direct care while exchanging specialized expertise for lasting impact.

Soldiers conduct a live fire during Operation Freedom Shield at Rocket Valley, South Korea, March 16, 2025. The exercise was designed to enhance the U.S.-South Korean alliance's deterrent posture against potential aggression, demonstrating the commitment of both nations to defend against any threats to regional security.

Ryan Bonacci, an exercise control group member attached to U.S. Space Forces - Korea, speaks to U.S. Space Force Maj. Dillon Hagerty, U.S. Space Forces - Korea director of force development (left), during exercise Freedom Shield 26 in the Pacific Air Simulation Center at Osan Air Base, South Korea, March 10, 2026. Simulation-based training allows exercise participants to receive near real-time feedback based on real-world scenarios and challenges.

A U.S. Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter releases flares during combat search and rescue training with Swedish air force rangers as part of Cold Response in Norway, March 13, 2026. The exercise was designed to strengthen rapid response capabilities and resilient sustainment in the High North, reinforcing NATO's collective defense.

Sailors assigned to the submarine USS Delaware remove ice from the sail after a surfacing during Operation Ice Camp in the Beaufort Sea, Arctic Circle, March 14, 2026. The operation was designed to research, test and evaluate operational capabilities in the Arctic region.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Joshua Huddeston welds a prefabricated bracket to the southern barrier during reinforcement operations in Yuma, Ariz., Feb. 26, 2026.

A soldier conducts a night patrol along the Rio Grande in Laredo, Texas, Feb. 2, 2026.