Heavily Armed 'Stryker' Combat Vehicles Heading For US Southern Border Were Previously Deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan

The U.S. Department of Defense has ordered the deployment of approximately 3,000 active-duty troops to the U.S-Mexico Border, including soldiers from a motorized brigade equipped with Strykers, 19-ton armored combat vehicles previously used in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The deployment, approved by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, includes soldiers primarily from the 4th Infantry Division's 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Fort Carson, Colorado, as well as personnel specializing in engineering, intelligence, and public affairs, as reported by The Washington Post. The Pentagon announced the deployment, stating that the move is intended to "reinforce and expand current border security operations to seal the border and protect the territorial integrity of the United States."

After news of the deployment, Hegseth commented on X that "100% OPERATIONAL CONTROL will be had at the southern border":

The Stryker was introduced in 2002 and named after two Medal of Honor recipients, Pfc. Stuart S. Stryker and Spc. Robert F. Stryker, as Military.com explains. It is designed for rapid deployment and strategic mobility and can be transported via C-130, C-17, and C-5 aircraft. The Stryker family includes multiple variants, including the Infantry Carrier Vehicle and Mobile Gun System, and is equipped with armor capable of withstanding small arms fire and artillery airbursts.

"Significantly lighter and more transportable than existing tanks and armored vehicles, the Stryker fulfills an immediate requirement to provide Combatant Commanders with a strategically deployable (C-17/C-5) and operationally deployable (C-130) brigade capable of rapid movement anywhere on the globe in a combat ready configuration," elaborates Military.com

Approximately 2,400 soldiers will deploy with the Stryker brigade combat team in the Southern border, while an additional 550 personnel will be attached to an aviation unit. The Stryker vehicles are expected to be transported by rail and truck to Arizona, with possible deployment to other states along the border. It remains unclear whether the vehicles will be armed during the mission.

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, responded to the announcement by acknowledging the need for border security while criticizing the administration's approach, according to The Washington post. "Long term we need to give our port officers and Border Patrol agents the resources that they need instead of having troops do their job," Gallego stated. He described the deployment as "just an expensive band-aid" rather than a comprehensive solution to border security challenges.