The U.S. Army is sending soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division, 10th Mountain Division and other units to the U.S.-Mexico border this fall.
They’ll be replacing units in the region supporting Joint Task Force-Southern Border, which has about 7,600 troops currently deployed, according to U.S. Northern Command.
The upcoming deployments include the following units:
- The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Headquarters to replace the 10th Mountain Division Headquarters
- The 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division to replace the 1st Infantry Division Combat Aviation Brigade
- The 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division to replace the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division
- The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Division Artillery to replace the 89th Military Police Brigade
- The 11th Corps Signal Brigade, III Armored Corps to replace the 35th Corps Signal Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps
- The 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, North Carolina National Guard to replace the 90th Sustainment Brigade, U.S. Army Reserve
An Army release did not include the total number of soldiers being deployed this fall.
President Donald Trump’s administration increased troops at the southern border by about 6,500 since taking office in January, according to a spokesperson for the military’s task force overseeing the mission.
The administration also created multiple national defense areas along the border this summer. In those zones, military personnel install barriers and signage, conduct patrols and stop and detain trespassers, who they transfer to the custody of law enforcement.
The Pentagon announced in August that troops who’ve deployed to the southern border since Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 20 declaring a national emergency there will be eligible for a new Mexican Defense Border Medal.
Todd South has written about crime, courts, government and the military for multiple publications since 2004 and was named a 2014 Pulitzer finalist for a co-written project on witness intimidation. Todd is a Marine veteran of the Iraq War.
