Dyersburg Unit Returns from Southern Border Mission

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nearly 50 Guardsmen with Dyersburg’s 168th Military Police Battalion recently completed a year-long deployment to the U.S. Southern Border and all Soldiers had returned home to Tennessee by Monday, November 24.

For the last 12 months, these Tennessee National Guardsmen have been headquartered at the U.S. Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector near Edinburg, Texas, where they have been supporting the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to detect, monitor, and apprehend those conducting illegal border crossings.

“Our Soldiers did a phenomenal job, and I am incredibly proud of them,” said Lt. Col. Robert Crowley, the commander for the 168th. “Their professionalism during this deployment represented the best of those who serve in the National Guard.”   

Mobilized on October 13, 2024, the Tennessee Soldiers first traveled to Fort Bliss, Texas, where they conducted additional training and preparation for the deployment. After a few weeks, they were then assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Sector and were responsible for managing more than 300 miles of U.S.-Mexico border as part of Joint Task Force-North, which later became Joint Task Force-Southern Border.

“We were one of the largest National Guard battalions with this mission,” said Crowley. “We were responsible for the command and control of over 600 Soldiers comprised of National Guard units from Alabama, Florida, and South Carolina, as well as active-duty forces.”

For the next year, the Tennesseans helped U.S. Border Patrol agents and the Department of Homeland Security disrupted cartel activity, deter drug and human trafficking, assisted with criminal apprehensions, and implemented a counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems program that deterred criminal “drones” from operating within the United States.      

“When we first began this mission, we primarily supported the U.S. Border Patrol by focusing on maintenance, training support, and detection and monitoring,” said Crowley. “Soon after arriving along the border, our focus shifted primarily to detection and monitoring which included patrolling, providing counter-UAS support, and roving teams that monitored increased traffic areas.”

When the 168th first arrived, the sector they operated in was averaging 700 detections of illegal crossings a week. By the end of their deployment, they had deterred and stopped crossings to where there were only 50-70 detections per week, many of which resulted in an apprehension or turn-back to the Mexican side of the border.

“I can’t stress enough how proud I am of all the hard work our Soldiers, and the ones we worked with, did over the last year,” said Crowley.

Once their mission was complete, the 168th Soldiers began returning home at the end of this October. In phases, groups of Solders first reported to Fort Hood, Texas, where they underwent out-processing and then flew home to Tennessee. The last group of Soldiers arrived home on November 24.

“We’re all really excited to be home, just in time to celebrate to holidays,” said Crowley. “These Guardsmen truly represented everything that is great about Tennessee.”