Joint Task Force Southern Border Soldiers Innovate to Reinforce Barriers

Sept. 16, 2026 |

Soldiers with the 62nd Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border in support of Operation Ardent Vanguard, recently reinforced a challenging section of the southern border barrier. 

The soldiers emplaced two strands of concertina wire and one strand of razor wire atop 7-foot Hesco barriers in National Defense Area 2 near Fort Hancock, Texas. The reinforced barriers disrupt climbing attempts and enhance persistent detection, monitoring and rapid response along high-risk border corridors.

"Barrier reinforcement operations represent more than physical infrastructure; they showcase the technical ingenuity and skill of our service members," said Army Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commander of Joint Task Force Southern Border and the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss, Texas. "For the last 14 weeks, our great soldiers have been out here day and night developing innovative solutions to stop human trafficking in our own territory."

In May, the Navy and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began installing 10 miles of barriers under orders from the War Department and U.S. Northern Command. Within about 30 days, they constructed 10 miles of barriers, including site preparation, mobilization, environmental clearance, receiving barrier sections from overseas, and transporting more than 90,000 cubic yards of fill material.

On average, constructing 10 miles of Hesco barriers takes approximately 28 days when crews work 12-hour shifts. However, this timeline does not include mobilization, land clearing or compaction.

During the recent reinforcement operation, soldiers assigned to the 591st Combat Engineer Company-Infantry, 62nd Engineer Battalion, maintained a demanding pace as they reinforced barriers from Santa Teresa, New Mexico, to Fort Hancock, Texas.

"When we work on border reinforcement operations, we typically start in the morning, and then we work until around midafternoon," said Army 2nd Lt. Jonah Posada, a Sapper platoon leader with the 591st. "And then, we'll return to Fort Bliss and prepare for the next day; we try to continue at that pace for the whole week."

To address site conditions and avoid the Texas summer heat, the company adopted an offset work schedule: one platoon began work in the early evening; another relieved it and worked until late morning.

The elevated work surface and limited workspace made installing razor wire on the Hesco barriers difficult. Additionally, the soldiers could not use metal stakes, which are generally used for support, because they would place compressive stress on the barriers. Instead, they used boom lifts as work platforms to emplace razor wire atop the concertina wire.

The final 300-meter section presented another significant challenge: soft, uneven terrain prevented the boom lifts from reaching the area and attempts to move the equipment left them stuck. Rather than leave the section unfinished, the 591st soldiers developed a solution using equipment already available.

"We devised a plan using tent poles and rope that we had in our high-angle mountaineering kit," Posada said. "Using those ropes, we stretched [the section of wire] out and kept tension on the razor wire."

Soldiers on the ground used camouflage-net poles to lift the razor wire while teams atop the barrier secured it in place. A carabiner attached to a rope helped lift the wire from the ground, enabling the soldiers to complete the final section without relying on boom lifts.

The solution was the latest in a series of adaptations soldiers developed as they transitioned between traditional barrier work and reinforcing Hesco barriers.

The Hesco barriers introduced additional challenges because the razor wire configuration was not standard for the engineers.

"The actual obstacle that we emplaced on top of the Hesco [barriers] is not normal," Posada said. "We had to figure out how to best overcome that. The terrain by the Hesco was a big hindrance on the mission as well."

The company also developed techniques to prevent injuries. In one method, the soldiers attached a wooden post to a boom lift and used it to position the wire across the barrier.

The completed work reinforces the barrier with additional obstacles intended to deter unauthorized crossings and support the broader border-security mission. Posada said the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents appreciated the efforts and noted that the additional barriers helped limit crossings.

The operation underscores the role of combat engineers in providing practical solutions when terrain, equipment and mission requirements intersect.

For the soldiers conducting the work, the operation demonstrated the importance of adapting established engineering practices to conditions on the ground. Posada said he shared the techniques that his platoon developed with other platoon leaders in the company so they could apply the lessons learned to similar missions.
 

Army Reserve Engineers Train Across Multiple Missions During Exercise Northern Strike

Aug. 13, 2026 | By Army Sgt. De'Vante Martin, 412th Theater Engineer Command |

Army Reserve soldiers assigned to two engineering companies spent the first week of Exercise Northern Strike 26-2, Aug. 1-7, moving between water operations, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense training, live demolitions and preparations for urban operations at Camp Grayling, Michigan.

The range of training gave soldiers experience beyond their usual engineering tasks while showing how those skills fit alongside maneuver forces. 

For Army Capt. Brandon Lalonde, 428th Combat Engineer Company-Infantry commander, that connection is an important part of Northern Strike. 

"The maneuver part, though, is something that generally we avoid when we plan training; and I think there's some shame in that because you don't really get to see how security is established, how people move forward on the battlefield [and] where the engineers fit in the mission," Lalonde said. "We need to see the bigger picture." 

On Aug. 3, soldiers conducted helocast operations, exiting a hovering aircraft into the water before making their way to shore. They later moved into CBRN training that included protective mask procedures, decontamination and mission-oriented protective posture operations.  

The next day, they trained with M18A1 claymore mines and selectable lightweight attack munitions and worked through emplacement procedures before conducting live detonations.

"This training is critical to building our unit's readiness and combat effectiveness," said Army 1st Lt. Parker Mock, 365th Engineer Company officer in charge during the event. "Northern Strike provides soldiers with realistic, large-scale training in an [immersive] environment, allowing them to integrate with joint and partner forces while employing emerging technologies and capabilities."

Service members assigned to the 428th Combat Engineer Company-Infantry also worked with industry partners to learn about emerging engineer technologies. Later in the week, soldiers began planning and preparing for urban operations at the Combined Arms Collective Training Facility at Camp Grayling. 

Moving from one event to another required soldiers to apply different skills and work through changing mission requirements. 

"Northern Strike prepares soldiers for real-world missions by replicating the complexity and pace of today's operational environment," Mock said. "This experience develops adaptable, disciplined and mission-ready soldiers who are better prepared to operate and win in large-scale combat operations." 

By the end of the week, the soldiers had trained in the air and water, worked with protective equipment, conducted live demolitions and prepared for operations in an urban setting. The different events allowed the engineers to practice their technical skills while seeing how their work supports other elements on the battlefield.