FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas— Soldiers assigned to the 74th Multi-Role Bridge Company out of Fort Hood, Texas, deployed to the McAllen-Brownsville area in January 2026. The company will support Joint Task Force–Southern Border maritime operations along the Rio Grande River.
The 74th MRBC provides a unique capability to the task force. While many Army units assigned to JTF-SB conduct mounted and dismounted patrols or emplace physical barriers, Soldiers from the 74th MRBC are patrolling border waterways using M30 Bridge Erection Boats (BEB).
“These boats are typically used to deploy floating bridge systems that allow troops and equipment to cross water obstacles such as rivers,” said 1st Lt. Xavier Muratalla,74th MRBC. “For this mission, we are using them to monitor and secure waterways along the southern border.”
The 74th MRBC is one of the Army’s oldest multi-role bridge units, with a lineage dating back to World War II.
“The ‘multi-role’ in our name is important,” said 1st Sgt. Nicholas Garcia, 74th MRBC. “Our Soldiers have experience integrating with local law enforcement and emergency management agencies. In 2025, we used M30 boats equipped with depth finders to assist local law enforcement with search-and-rescue operations.”
As part of JTF-SB, Soldiers from the 74th MRBC have integrated with partner agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard, to support security operations along the waterways of the U.S. southern border.