A new 500-person unit of Marines and sailors from Camp Pendleton has deployed to the southern border to assist U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Border Patrol.
The group, comprised of personnel from Combat Logistics Battalion 15, 1st Marine Logistics, has assumed operational responsibilities as Task Force Forge under Joint Task Force–Southern Border, officials announced Monday. Their mission is to provide critical engineering and logistical support as directed by a January 20 presidential executive order that authorized Department of Defense assistance at the border.
Task Force Forge is relieving a previous 500-member unit from Camp Pendleton, known as Task Force Sapper, which deployed on January 23. The handover followed several weeks of hands-on training between the two groups. The earlier deployment was marked by tragedy in April when two Marines, Lance Cpl. Albert A. Aguilera of Riverside and Lance Cpl. Marcelino M. Gamino of Fresno, died in a vehicle crash during a convoy in New Mexico.
The new task force will establish its presence eastward in the Yuma sector to bolster support activities in the region.
“Our mission is clear,” Lt. Col. Colin Graham, commanding officer of Task Force Forge, said in a statement. “Support our federal partners and Joint Task Force-Southern Border, strengthen operational readiness, and support upholding the territorial integrity of our nation’s border with professionalism and precision.”
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