DOW Support to the Southern Border

Army Sgt. Richard Botting, assigned to the 1060th Transportation Company, 226th Transportation Battalion, Massachusetts National Guard, digs out a path to an elderly resident's home in Kingston, Mass., Feb. 24, 2026.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Tiffany Lopez applauds the Marine Corps Band during Disneyland’s Ultimate Toy Drive in support of Toys for Tots in Anaheim, Calif., Dec. 13, 2025. Established in 1947, Toys for Tots is a year-round charity that collects and distributes toys, books and games to children and families in need.

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.

Army UH-60L Black Hawk aviators assigned to the 207th Aviation Troop Command, Alaska Army National Guard, fly under the northern lights while responding to a medical evacuation request in western Alaska, Jan. 21, 2026. Due to daylight restrictions, local civilian air ambulance services were unable to conduct the medevac mission. Using night-vision goggles, the aviators, along with two Bethel, Alaska, fire department medics, successfully transported a patient.

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.

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.

Members of the Alaska National Guard and the Department of Homeland Security, along with volunteers from the Salvation Army and the Alaska National Guard Child and Youth Program, host families from Kipnuk and Kwigillingok during Operation Santa Claus at the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage, Alaska, Dec. 14, 2025. Operation Santa Claus provides gifts, toys, backpacks and books to children in remote Alaskan communities. This year's event supported families who were displaced following Typhoon Halong.

Army Pfc. Rico Rivero, right, participates in a school roof repair project in Salamanca, Panama, Dec. 12, 2025. U.S. Southern Command is focused on increasing partner nation capacity and interoperability in the region and reflects the United States' enduring promise of friendship, partnership and solidarity with the Panamanian people.

U.S. Army and international paratroopers prepare for takeoff during the Randy Oler Operation Toy Drop at Fort Liberty, N.C., Dec. 8, 2025. The event allows service members to support children in need during the holiday season and earn foreign partner-nation wings. The installation's name was restored to Fort Bragg in 2025.