WASHINGTON – About two dozen District of Columbia Army National Guard Aviation Command members returned from a 12-month deployment supporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection as part of the federal Southern border mission. 

Members of Detachment 1, A Company 1/224th Security and Support Battalion responded to a request for assistance by the Department of Homeland Security through the Department of Defense.

“It was a unique experience and an opportunity to support a critical federal mission while enhancing our own aviation capabilities,” said U.S. Army Capt. Corbin Cali, commander of Detachment 1, A Company 1/224th S&S battalion and aviation operations officer.

The mission also included D.C. National Guard Military Police and Maintenance Company personnel who volunteered to support the aviation battalion. Under the direction of U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force North, Guard members worked closely with Border Patrol agents and Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations officers.

The detachment, outfitted with a UH-72 Lakota helicopter, conducted reconnaissance, search and rescue and aerial monitoring. 

“Our primary role was to serve as an eye in the sky for CBP agents,” Cali said. “We flew patrols both day and night, assisting in detecting and monitoring border crossings, tracking illicit activity, and relaying real-time intelligence to ground agents.”

The D.C. team was part of a larger aviation task force comprising approximately 350 personnel from nine states. Cali emphasized his team’s professionalism, particularly in navigating threats at the border.

“Being part of the D.C. Guard, we’re accustomed to operating in high-profile environments,“ he said. “Our Soldiers upheld the highest standards of professionalism and remained mission-focused at all times.”

During the year-long deployment, the unit logged thousands of flight hours and contributed to the apprehension of numerous border crossers and the seizure of illegal narcotics.

“Beyond supporting the federal government, this mission helped us hone our aviation skills, making us safer and more proficient aviators. That readiness will be critical for future missions,” Cali said.

The D.C. National Guard’s aviation assets can deploy wherever needed to support federal and state missions. As these Soldiers reintegrate with their home units, they bring back valuable operational experience that will enhance the Guard’s readiness for future assignments.

Last month, President Donald J. Trump directed the Defense Department to take all appropriate action to support the secretary of Homeland Security in controlling the southern border. That includes sending 1,500 active-duty service members to the border to bolster the more than 2,500 active-duty troops and National Guard members already in the region.

During a Feb. 7 Pentagon town hall, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called homeland defense a priority.

“Border security is national security and, as the president has told us, we’re going to get 100% operational control of our southern border and that will — needs to be and will be a focus of this department,” he said.