Photo By Staff Sgt. Natalie Rubenak | U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Tracy Northington, Joint Task Force Southern Guard force...... read more read more
In the last 250 years, the U.S. military has evolved into an agile and lethal machine; a prime target that adversaries look to exploit. With that evolution comes new and more advanced threats like unmanned aerial systems, commonly referred to as drones.
In the early days of warfare, intelligence was gathered through several different avenues: human intelligence used as spies; signals intelligence gathered through radio communications; and reconnaissance patrols used to observe enemy positions. Today, UAS’ are used by adversaries to obtain troop positions, convoy activities, and installation infrastructure.
According to the North American Aerospace Defense Command, over 350 drone incursions were reported across 100 different U.S. military installations in 2024. On July 10, 2025, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued a memorandum titled “Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance” where he directed a threefold mission: Bolster drone production, arm combat units with a variety of drones and lastly, training service members as they expect to fight.
Practice as you play is not a new concept for the military, but when it comes to UAS’ and countering those threats, the members of Joint Task Force Southern Guard are ensuring real-world readiness against a rapidly evolving aerial threat in the area of responsibility.
“As force protection, I provide the JTF-SG commander with recommendations and assessments on preserving the force,” said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Tracy Northington, JTF-SG force protection noncommissioned officer in charge. “I monitor potential UAS activity and report detections and potential threats.”
Northington also coordinates education and training to the local JTF, Joint Task Force Guantanamo, ensuring both JTF-SG and JTF-GTMO share the same training, tactics and procedures regarding reporting procedures if one is spotted. Due to the nature of JTF-SG's location and sharing real estate with a U.S. Navy installation, JTF-SG must work in step with the local service members to ensure all air space is covered.
“The JTF-SG protection team is combining minds and working as a team with Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to share information and strengthen each of our capabilities,” Northington stated.
Armed forces are leaning on counter-UAS, otherwise known as C-UAS, to offset the operational challenges posed by drones. This advanced technology uses sensors like radars, radio frequency antenna and even acoustic sensors to identify drones encroaching the airspace.
In any team environment, mission success is built on the collective effort. Each section must come together, share information and synchronize efforts to counter evolving threats.
“My role as J2, or intelligence, is to integrate with the force protection and legal teams to provide intelligence updates on adversary drone data analysis,” said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Colin Kamphuis, JTF-SG J2 director.
While it’s important to report any UAS activity, a report alone means nothing without a range of supporting details. The J2 analyzes factors such as time, location, speed, type, and frequency - core elements of the intelligence community’s work.
“C-UAS is important to the JTF-SG mission due to the delicate nature of our operating environment,” Kamphuis said. “We are surrounded on three sides by Cuba. These systems keep our service members safe from collection and inform our leaders.”
Through the evolution and advancement of technological systems, the U.S. military remains unrivaled in their ability to adapt to new challenges. Aerial threats may persist, but JTF-SG continues to stay ahead of the curve, maintaining safe airspace surveillance.
| Date Taken: | 08.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.20.2025 10:18 |
| Story ID: | 546014 |
| Location: | CU |
| Web Views: | 113 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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