The Pentagon has ordered all of the national guards in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories into action. They need to build up specialized “quick reaction forces” that are specially trained in crowd control. On October 8, Major General Ronald Burkett signed the deployment order. Its stated aim is to train these forces to respond to major civil disturbances, should they arise.
Under this new initiative, U.S. troops will receive training and experience in riot control methods. They’ll learn how to properly use batons, body shields, Tasers and pepper spray. The program is estimated to train 500 members from each of the states’ national guard in what would be 23,500 trained personnel nationwide. A confidential memo titled “civil disturbance training requirement” spells out the training regimen. It goes further in sharing the critical skills needed to successfully deal with complex crowd control scenarios.
Creation of these rapid reaction forces isn’t a stand alone move. This will include introducing “Squad-sized Riot Control Formations” and using riot batons while operating under the aforementioned “Riot Control Formations”. Personnel will be trained to oversee incident command, riot, and crowd control procedures. This training helps to make sure that they’re as well prepared as possible for whatever situation calls them into action.
States have to report on their progress every month in order to stay in compliance with these training mandates. The proposal as part of the initiative, a specialized military police battalion will be included in the District of Columbia National Guard. This battalion should have a 50-person full-time core already trained and available for deployment with 90 days notice. This battalion—as this animal-friendly unit is known—is expected to reach its full strength by 2027.
The deployment of national guard troops to manage protests and civil disturbances has historical precedence in the United States, reminiscent of events such as the 1970 Kent State shooting. This latest move shines light on a troubling mindset that exists within the Pentagon and reveals deep fears of civil unrest in this country.
Janessa Goldbeck, a defense policy analyst, warned about the unfortunate fallout this directive could create. She stated, “the president could declare a state of emergency and say that elections are rigged and use allegations of voter fraud to seize the ballots of secure voting centers.” Goldbeck further characterized the initiative as “an attempt by the president to normalize a national, militarized police force.”
This change represents a radical departure from military readiness to engage in civil unrest. It’s worth noting that national quick reaction forces have in fact been established previously. For instance, over 50,000 national guard troops were deployed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to assist in recovery efforts and maintain order.