U.S. service members support interagency partners escorting illegal aliens as part of Operation Southern Guard at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Feb. 10 2025. Joint Task Force Southern Guard is supporting illegal aliens holding operations led by the Department of Homeland Security at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — Some missions take months to plan. Others come together in a moment’s notice. Joint Task Force Southern Guard, or JTF-SG, is one of the latter. A force assembled with speed and precision, bringing together military expertise from across the Department of Defense to support Department of Homeland Security-led migrant operations.

"Every piece of this operation had to fall in place just right to support the combatant commander’s vision to rapidly meet emerging national security requirements,” said Army Col. Mark Davis, JTF-SG chief of staff. “Our newly formed JTF hit the ground less than 24 hours after notification ready to turn Maj. Gen. [Phil] Ryan’s plan into reality”

Like a puzzle, each section of JTF-SG is a critical piece, fitting together seamlessly to create a fully operational picture.

A Soldier assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Guard speaks during the joint operations center daily briefing at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Feb. 7, 2025. Joint Task Force Southern Guard is supporting illegal aliens holding operations led by the Department of Homeland Security at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This photo has been altered for security purposes.

"We’re not just supporting a mission. We’re providing a professional multi-functional warfighting team that is capable of solving the toughest problems in a volatile and unpredictable world," Davis continued.

Without logistics, there would be no sustainment. Without communications, there would be no coordination. Without engineers, there would be no infrastructure.

Each section has a role, each role has a purpose, and together, they form a mission-ready force.

Department of Defense service members and Department of Homeland Security personnel conduct a daily interagency sync meeting at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Feb. 10, 2025. Joint Task Force Southern Guard is supporting illegal aliens holding operations led by the Department of Homeland Security at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This photo has been altered for security purposes.

There was no time for slow starts. Personnel from across the military deployed within hours, arriving at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay ready to execute.

"From the moment we got the call, every element was ready to hit the ground running," said U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Hiram Gonzalez, JTF-SG J3 sergeant major. “We understood that this mission was different, but it wasn’t until we got on here that we recognized the difference. It didn’t take long for that sink in, and we got to work.”

While some sections were providing the operational picture, other teams worked around the clock ensuring facilities were built, supplies were delivered, translating complex laws and policies, setting up medical facilities, and providing spiritual support.

"This isn’t just an Army operation or a Navy operation. It’s a joint effort where every branch brings its strengths to the table," said Gonzalez. "We all had a specific job to do, and that’s why this JTF is running like a well-oiled machine."

U.S. Navy service members prepare illegal alien tents at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in support of the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security mission to expand the Illegal Alien Holding Operations Center during Operation Southern Guard at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, February 17, 2025. At the direction of the President of the United States to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense, U.S. military service members are supporting removal operations led by DHS at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.

The operation required seamless integration between services. In a matter of days, JTF-SG transformed from individual components into a fully operational force.

"When you see it all come together — the security, the logistics, the manning, the planning, the execution — you realize how vital every single piece of this puzzle is," Gonzalez said. "Working with our sister services, I discovered capabilities I didn’t even know existed."

Airmen assigned to the 821st Contingency Response Element offload equipment for Joint Task Force Southern Guard at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Feb. 18, 2025. Joint Task Force Southern Guard is supporting illegal aliens holding operations led by the Department of Homeland Security at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. ShaTyra Cox)

Airmen assigned to the 821st Contingency Response Element offload equipment for Joint Task Force Southern Guard at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Feb. 18, 2025. Joint Task Force Southern Guard is supporting illegal aliens holding operations led by the Department of Homeland Security at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. ShaTyra Cox)

One of the most essential pieces, Gonzalez noted, is the 821st Contingency Response Element, known as a CRE.

"Every problem I had to solve involved the CRE because of their unique operational support and sustainment capabilities," Gonzalez continued.

Together with the Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion, Prime Power teams and Sgt. Joshua Hughes, the sole generator mechanic from U.S. Army South, the CRE worked “from daylight to nightfall” to ensure that housing issues for the 508th Military Police Battalion were resolved quickly.

U.S. Marines install concertina wire on Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Feb. 10, 2025. U.S. Southern Command is supporting illegal alien holding operations led by the Department of Homeland Security.

"In terms of unity, that’s a testament to how well the sister services worked together to solve a problem," Gonzalez said.

JTF-SG didn’t just deploy to support an operation. It built the foundation for success in real-time. Every section, every service, and every individual brought their unique strengths together, transforming a fast-moving challenge into a fully synchronized mission.

The pieces of the puzzle fit, and the result is a force ready for anything.

"The phenomenal effects we achieved in support of the DHS-led mission over the first three weeks of operations are a testament to U.S. Army South’s highly rehearsed contingency command post readiness," Davis concluded.