Joint Task Force Southern Border Holds Transfer of Authority

The Army's 101st Airborne Division transferred authority of the Joint Task Force Southern Border mission to the 1st Armored Division during a ceremony at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, May 29.

Air Force Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, commander of U.S. Northern Command, presided over the ceremony.

Army Maj. Gen. David Gardner, the outgoing JTF-SB commander and commander of the 101st Airborne Division, assumed authority from the 10th Mountain Division Oct. 10, 2025. Gardner turned over authority to Army Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commander of the 1st Armored Division, making him the third commander to lead the joint task force.

JTF-SB operates under the direction of Northcom, providing unique military capabilities to protect the territorial integrity of the southern border.

"Over the past seven months, through synchronized planning, rapid mobility and persistent presence, we've enhanced southern border security with expanded detection and monitoring, improved data sharing and agile capabilities in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other key partners," Gardner said. "We take great pride in what we accomplished as we pass the colors for this vital mission to our teammates."

Since March 2025, more than 20,000 service members have deployed to support this historic homeland defense mission and conducted more than 33,000 enhanced detection and monitoring missions, enabling greater awareness of illegal crossings from Mexico into the U.S. Of these missions, nearly 4,500 were joint patrols alongside CBP agents, and close to 1,100 were joint, mirrored patrols with Mexican partners.

Furthermore, the joint task force is executing the largest barrier reinforcement in U.S. history with the emplacement of approximately 59,000 rolls of concertina wire. Units also installed nearly 8,000 signs and more than 3,100 buoys across 656 miles to set the boundaries for five established national defense areas.

JTF-SB is an operational proving ground for emerging technology with service members putting drones, counter drones, sensors and more to the test across the entire southern border. During the transfer ceremony, Taylor thanked the 101st Airborne Division for positioning the task force for future success and underscored the 1st Armored Division's commitment to continuing the mission of conducting full-scale, agile and all-domain operations in support of the Department of Homeland Security's efforts to secure the southern border.