The USS Gravely, a guided-missile destroyer previously involved in combat operations in the Middle East, has been deployed to the U.S. Northern Command Area of Responsibility (USNORTHCOM AOR) to support border security efforts along the U.S.-Mexico border.
While the U.S. military, including National Guard units, has previously been deployed to support border operations, the involvement of a Navy destroyer is unusual. The region's terrain and border—largely land-based—are typically under the purview of the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Coast Guard, which patrols nearby waters.
