On October 10, the United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) announced that responsibility for its mission on the United States-Mexico border had changed hands from the 10th Mountain Division Headquarters to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Headquarters at Libby Army Airfield at Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista, Arizona. The deployment of troops to the border is referred to as “Joint Task Force-Southern Border” (JTF-SB), emphasizing the federal government’s collaborative, all-hands-on-deck approach to border security.
Under the 10th Mountain Division’s leadership, USNORTHCOM Commander Gen. Gregory Guillot said that JTF-SB had done “exceptional work” collaborating with the nine Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sectors along the U.S.-Mexico border. During the deployment, which launched from the 10th Mountain Division on March 14, CBP officials reported record-low levels of apprehensions, both of smugglers and illegal entries into the United States. “The effect? Nothing but a record of stunning mission success,” Guillot said in a press release.
The JTF-SB’s projects since March include the establishment of National Defense Areas (NDAs) along the border in areas that have historically seen heavy traffic. JTF-SB also assisted CBP personnel in tracking and detection. “The task force also maintains strong collaboration with the Mexican military and U.S. government agencies to ensure seamless information sharing and coordinated responses,” the agency explained. (While the agency cheered the enhanced security, lawyers and immigration advocates along the border were more critical, arguing that the regulations around NDAs were legally unclear and may unfairly target U.S. citizens.)
In the Big Bend, around 500 troops have been deployed. There were talks early on about building semi-permanent encampments for troops at the Marfa Airport and in Big Bend National Park, but USNORTHCOM opted for the majority to stay in hotels in Alpine and Presidio.
While local officials have generally expressed neutral or positive impressions of the troops deployed to the region, they’ve largely been left in the dark about JTF-SB’s day-to-day operations and plans for the future. Over the summer, representatives for tourism boards in Presidio and Alpine expressed concern about long-term cuts to their budget posed by the deployment—the military does not pay hotel occupancy taxes, which go directly to corresponding tourism boards.
When the Sentinel last reported on the issue in July, local hotel operators were under the impression that the deployment would stretch at least until November.
At Tuesday’s commissioners court meeting, Brewster County officials discussed continuing a lease for the military out of the Emergency Response Center in Alpine. Though the lease is only for 18 months, County Judge Greg Henington said that he’d been told they would maintain a presence in the area for the rest of President Trump’s second term. “My understanding is that they’re here for the full four years,” he said.