Perhaps not since WWII era has JFTB in Los Al been so populated with troops as federal initiative endures

By
David N. Young
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U.S. Army Soldiers, assigned to 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 40th Infantry Division, California Army National Guard, conduct civil disturbance operations (CDO) training at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, Calif., June 11, 2025. California Army National Guardsmen in their Title 10 duty status train for crowd control and de-escalation techniques in alignment with legal rules for using the appropriate level of force. U.S. Northern Command is supporting federal agencies by providing military forces to protect federal functions, personnel, and property in the greater Los Angeles area. On June 7, the Secretary of Defense directed USNORTHCOM to establish Task Force 51 to oversee Title 10 forces supporting this mission. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Chase Murray)

Early Saturday morning, Los Alamitos residents who live next to the Joint Forces Training Base woke up to the sounds of National Guard service members participating in drills, learning techniques they will presumably need on the streets of southern California.

In a federally authorized effort that reportedly includes approximately 4,000 National Guard troops and 500 U.S. Marines, the base has become the hub of an ongoing effort to round up undocumented aliens and deport them.

Accordingly, the “federalized” effort has since put the base in lockdown mode, as routine access to non-military personnel is no longer authorized, according to U.S. Army public affairs

“Due to the current force protection posture, base officials made the decision to limit base access,” she said to Event News Enterprise in an email. In addition, since the email, National Guard forces along with other armed forces and key installations have been placed on high alert since the bombings in Iran.

The entire, massive base, property, and the majority of structures that sit on it, is owned by the federal government, even if an ongoing agreement with state officials allows the California National Guard to command the base.

In addition, she said that while 40th Infantry Division Brigadier General Robert Paoletti is currently in command of the base, he is simply “covering the duties as base commander in Lt. Col. Fox’s absence, who is traveling.” Sources say Lt. Col. Fox is expected to be back on base in the next couple of weeks.

Photo by Stephen Lam, used by ENE with permission of the San Francisco Chronicle
Temporary structures, part of the deployment of California Army National Guards and United States Marine Corps by President Donald Trump to Los Angeles in response to the protests against Federal immigration raids, are seen at Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos in Los Alamitos, Calif., Friday, June 20, 2025.

In a brief telephone interview this week with Lt. Col. Fox, who was visiting the U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania, he confirmed the changes ongoing at the base and said the base transformation will likely stay in place for the “foreseeable future.”

Col. Smith, in her email, confirmed Lt. Col. Fox’s assertion.

“We will be here until the conclusion of the mission which was originally slated for 60 days,” she said.

Moreover, Lt. Col. Fox said he remains the commander of the base and plans to return in a few weeks.

U.S. Army Maj. Gen Scott M. Sherman, commander of Task Force 51, visits troops and assesses operations along with the command teams of 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and 49th Military Police Brigade in Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base, Calif., June 25, 2025. U.S. Northern Command is supporting federal agencies by providing military forces to protect federal functions, personnel, and property in the greater Los Angeles area. On June 7, the Secretary of Defense directed USNORTHCOM to establish Task Force 51 to oversee Title 10 forces supporting this mission. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Chase Murray)

Meanwhile, the city’s traditional fireworks display on the base, which drew a record 12,000 spectators last year, has become a casualty of sorts, as the limited access will not permit visitors on the base.

The City of Los Alamitos, meanwhile, issued a statement acknowledging the base’s temporary transformation’s limited access, saying the fireworks display will go on, but only as a livestream.In addition, visitors to JFTB before the lockdown said they saw thousands of troops and military vehicles on the base, including vehicles labeled as the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

It is not known if ICE agents are among those who have moved onto the base as the deployment continues, while massive white structures and temporary buildings have been constructed on portions of the base that parallel residential streets of Los Alamitos.

Soldiers with Troop A, 1st Squadron, 18th Cavalry Regiment, California Army National Guard, detain and escort a Soldier in the role of an aggressive demonstrator during training on riot and crowd control techniques at Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos, California, June 22, 2025. U.S. Northern Command is supporting federal agencies by providing military forces to protect federal functions, personnel, and property in the greater Los Angeles area. On June 7, the Secretary of Defense directed USNORTHCOM to establish Task Force 51 to oversee Title 10 forces supporting this mission. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy)

While ENE was not allowed on the base to take photos, portions of the new construction are visible from some of the public streets adjacent to the new construction.

On Saturday, troops were visible from this vantage point, practicing drills in formation. While there are 4,000 California National Guard troops involved with the deployment, it was not disclosed how many of them are currently living on the base.

The 500 U.S. Marines assigned to the deployment reportedly trained nearby at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station.

Meanwhile, citizens, businesses, and nonprofit organizations have reacted to the round-up in a variety of ways, quickly assembling a variety of methods, including a major workshop, to explain individuals’ rights to citizens.