Securing-the-Southern-Border

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Arizona National Guard’s Task Force SAFE Strengthens Border Security
May 13, 2025 — NOGALES, Ariz. — In an effort to disrupt the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, Arizona... MORE

U.S. Soldiers with the Arizona Army National Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents inspect a cooler of fish for illegal drugs or other contraband items at the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona, April 30, 2025.

Texas Guard Members Bolster Border Patrol Efforts along Rio Grande
May 7, 2025 — ROMA, Texas – A steady breeze rolled across a closed bridge crossing the Rio Grande, offering relief... MORE

A U.S. Soldier with the Texas Army National Guard monitors activity along the Rio Grande during a patrol near Roma, Texas, April 25, 2025.

Maryland Guard Soldiers Return Home From Border Mission
March 19, 2025 — EDGEWOOD, Md. – Maryland Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 224th Aviation... MORE

Maryland Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, celebrated their return home from federal deployment under the direction of U.S. Northern Command at Weide Army Heliport at the Army Aviation Support Facility at Aberdeen Proving Ground-South March 8, 2025.

Oregon National Guard Prepares for Southern Border Mission
March 13, 2025 — SALEM, Ore. - The Oregon National Guard's 1249th Engineer Battalion is preparing for a year-long... MORE

Soldiers from the Oregon National Guard's 1249th Engineer Battalion stand in formation during a change of command ceremony at the Anderson Readiness Center in Salem, Oregon, Sept. 8, 2024. The battalion is preparing for a year-long mobilization to support security operations along the southern border beginning October 2025.

District of Columbia Guard Returns from Border Mission
February 18, 2025 — WASHINGTON – About two dozen District of Columbia Army National Guard Aviation Command members... MORE

Left to right, Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard II, the adjutant general for the District of Columbia National Guard; Maj. Gen. John C. Andonie, commanding general (Interim) for the D.C. National Guard; Capt. Corbin Cali, aviation operations officer and Det 1 A Co 1/224th S&S commander; Sgt. 1st Class Richard Molezzo, Det 1 A Co 1/224th S&S NCOIC; Chief Warrant Officer 5 Bernard L. Aguon, command chief warrant officer for the D.C. National Guard, and Lt. Col. Ryan Rooks, state aviation officer for the D.C. Army National Guard. About two dozen D.C. Guard members returned home following a 12-month deployment to the southern border.

Texas National Guard Operation Lone Star Helps Secure Border
February 11, 2025 — ROMA, Texas - National Guard members continue to play a key role in sealing and securing the... MORE

A Texas Army National Guard Soldier looks across the Rio Grande River near Roma, Texas, while taking part in border operations with the Texas Tactical Border Force, Feb. 5, 2025. The TTBF, comprising Texas National Guard members in a state active duty status, works with state and federal law enforcement officials, including U.S. Border Patrol, to deter, detect and stop illegal border crossings and to interdict transnational criminals.

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Video by Joseph Bara

ERDC hosts first-of-its-kind cold weather manufacturing challenge

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center

Dec. 7, 2023 | 1:24

If a critical part breaks in the arctic, or other similarly remote and austere environments, forward-deployed warfighters can’t just order a replacement on the internet and have it shipped overnight. But what if they could manufacturer it onsite themselves? That was the premise behind the Office of the Secretary of Defense Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Program’s first-of-its-kind Point of Need Manufacturing Challenge, held December 4-8, at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover, New Hampshire. The event showcased technologies generated by member companies of the Department of Defense Manufacturing Innovation Institute. Six projects, selected for funding in March by ManTech and DoD expert judges, used the event to demonstrate that their systems could be deployed in a cold weather environment to help close supply chain gaps and enable warfighters to manufacture and utilize critical equipment right where they need it. “Material performance in the cold is different,” said Dr. Steven Wax, acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. “We must understand this to adapt to support current operations.” According to Stephen Luckowski, an advanced manufacturing associate at the Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center, CRREL was selected by the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense to host the event because of the unique capabilities that exist at the laboratory. “The cold temperature capabilities at minus-60 degrees emulate the environments that we believe we will see in operations around the world,” Luckowski said. “This is a unique capability in the United States, and the only place where we could actually execute this type of work.” One of the industry participants, Anusha Iyer, CEO and founder of Vienna, Virginia-based Corsha, said the opportunity to work in such extreme cold temperatures was invaluable. “It’s been an incredible experience being able to come here and do this exercise at CRREL and really simulate that our platform can work at these kinds of extreme, austere temperatures and environments, and make sure that we’re putting in place technologies and solutions for the warfighter that will help them at point of need,” said Iyer, whose team demonstrated a platform that manages cybersecurity challenges presented by point-of-need manufacturing. “It’s only when you come into these types of settings that you see the unique constraints — everything that you take for granted sitting in an office or sitting in a secure data center that’s warmed up and continually connected — it’s a totally different playing field when you come into an environment like this. Everything from connectivity to cabling, to environmental constraints, are what we are solving for, and it’s great to do it in a live environment like this.” Defense officials from allied partner nations joined senior leaders and general officers from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the military services, defense agencies and the National Guard to witness manufacturing demonstrations in extreme cold temperatures. Wax was joined by the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Deputy Commanding General Brigadier General David Trybula and DoD ManTech Director Tracy Frost in attending the event and interacting with and congratulating the developers on their accomplishments advancing the defense technologies to meet the warfighters’ needs. The event allowed CRREL’s scientists and engineers to demonstrate the laboratory’s capabilities and forge important relationships with defense industry and DoD personnel. “Hosting the Point of Need Challenge provided an opportunity for the CRREL community of scientists and engineers to not only support a significant DoD technology demonstration, but also to connect with, and develop, new partnerships with the larger DoD community of stakeholders,” said Dr. Joseph Corriveau, director of CRREL. “Through these partnerships our ultimate goal is to work together on tomorrow’s challenges, today.” Those new partnerships have already begun to pay dividends, according to Dr. Orian Welling, chief of CRREL’s Force Projection and Sustainment Branch. “Since the event, I’ve talked to several researchers who’ve been invited to engage on numerous topics, including participating in events this winter with SOCOM, holding trainings for our staff in Picatinny, and collaborating with researchers at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and Natick Soldier Center,” said Welling. The projects covered three challenges — the Warfighter Medical, Health and Nutrition Challenge; the Staying in the Fight Challenge; and the Cyber Challenge — and were assessed in real time by Soldiers, Marines, National Guardsmen and engineers. ManTech will invest nearly $2.5 million, while industry partners will contribute nearly $700,000 in cost share.