Joint Task Force North transitioned leadership as U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Randall V. Simmons Jr. relinquished command of JTF-N to U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Matthew D. Smith during a change of command ceremony Dec. 14 at the JTF-N headquarters, Fort Bliss, Texas.
Security vulnerabilities at the southwest border present a grave national security threat. An unsecure border allows opportunities for transnational threats ā€“ including transnational criminals, terrorists, illicit drugs, weapons of mass destruction, and other contraband ā€“ to enter the United States. Transnational criminal organizations have established illicit pathways across the border from Mexico into the United States to enable their...
Joint Task Force Northā€™s military engineering support directly increases the effectiveness of U.S. Border Patrol efforts to deter and prevent drug trafficking and associated transnational threats from entering the United States through the construction of all-weather roads while providing service members with enhanced training opportunities.
