DOW Support to the Southern Border

Army Capt. Zach Marise sits in front of a Maven Smart System interface in Arlington, Va., Feb. 20, 2026. The system is an artificial intelligence tool that was designed to process imagery and full-motion video from drones.

A YFQ-44A, part of the Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, undergoes a captive carry test at a California test location. This test phase uses inert munitions to methodically validate weapons integration, structural performance and safety, ensuring the platform can safely carry external stores.

Army Brig. Gen. Carrie L. Perez, center, the director of Army Personnel Management at the National Guard Bureau, joins Joint Task Force District of Columbia leaders during the initial presentation of Disasterville as part of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission in Washington, Feb. 19, 2026. Disasterville is a mixed-reality training experience that immerses users in full-scale, mission-oriented disaster scenarios, including wildfires, floods and earthquakes.

Soldiers launch a drone during a counter-unmanned aircraft system live-fire exercise at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, Feb. 17, 2026. The exercise was designed to strengthen soldiers' readiness to tackle complex challenges on today's dynamic battlefield.

Soldiers operate a drone during the U.S. Army Best Drone Warfighter Competition in Huntsville, Ala., Feb. 18, 2026. Active-duty, reserve and National Guard soldiers competed to be the top warfighter while showcasing their agility, adaptability and lethality for the evolving, modern battlefield. This year marked the Army's inaugural best drone competition.

Soldiers conduct a blood transport exercise during Spartan Focus at Fort Stewart, Ga., Feb. 14, 2026. During the exercise, soldiers tested emerging drone technologies to advance lifesaving capabilities on the battlefield.

Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Randy DiChristina, an instructor assigned to the Advanced Infantry Training Battalion, School of Infantry–East, operates a small unmanned aerial system during Exercise Wave Breaker at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., Feb. 6, 2026.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Corey Ashby pilots a first-person view small unmanned aircraft system during a live-fire demonstration rehearsal at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Jan. 28, 2026.

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.

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique Brown-Irvin, a steelworker and instructor at the Naval Construction Training Center, guides Navy Rear Adm. Greg Huffman, commander, Naval Education and Training Command, while he operates a virtual reality headset that training center students use to practice welding during a tour of Naval Construction Training Center Gulfport in Gulfport, Miss., Feb. 4, 2026.

Marine Corps Sgt. Jason Hamm, a small unmanned aircraft systems operator assigned to the 1st Marine Division Schools, prepares to catch a first-person view drone after a live-fire exercise as part of the small attack drone operator's course at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Jan. 23, 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.

Georgia Army National Guardsmen participate in an unmanned aerial systems operator's course at Fort Stewart, Ga., Jan. 5-16, 2026. Students received classroom instruction and performed hands-on training with the RQ-28 short-range reconnaissance platform, a small, rucksack-portable quadcopter drone.

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.

An Army soldier assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, releases a drone during Operation Winter Falcon 26 at the Drawsko Combat Training Center in Oleszno, Poland, Jan. 13, 2026. The drone operation demonstrated the effectiveness of unmanned aerial systems for future joint defensive operations in Poland.

Army Col. Matthew Kelley, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team commander, and Polish Maj. Gen. Maciej Jablonski, U.S. Army V Corps deputy commanding general of interoperability, examine a counter-small unmanned aerial system during Operation Winter Falcon 26 at the Drawsko Combat Training Center in Oleszno, Poland, Jan. 13, 2026. They examined how the system uses radio waves to disable drones.

Soldiers operate an unmanned aircraft system at Drawsko Combat Training Center, Poland, Jan. 13, 2026. U.S. and NATO forces in Europe conduct ongoing joint training exercises to strengthen interoperability and ensure collective defense readiness.