As I have written here before it is nothing less than murder to place unarmed soldiers on the streets with the mission of guarding anything in the face of mobs who have no respect for government and certainly no respect for soldiers.
The mob tried to capture and occupy Lafayette Park across the street from the White House last night. They tried to overturn and demolish the statue of President Andrew Jackson in the center of that park. Do you think they won't be back?
The District of Columbia National Guard are part time amateur soldiers. They will be very afraid of the mob.
Esper, McCarthy and that ass, Milley, think this is a good idea? Incredible. pl
I heard about the Guard going in on the TV and I didn't even think about the implications of being unarmed. Now I feel really dumb.
Why is this being done this way? It makes no sense. No one can say all the people involved with the various statutes and protests have been peaceful. They have not been. Unarmed Guard troops will be a mighty temptation to some of the people out there. They should be armed going forward.
Posted by: jerseycityjoan | 24 June 2020 at 05:32 PM
Trump needs to fire one of these three ring circus leaders so the other two get the message. They want the optics for the press of America being destroyed by the 'peaceful' agitprop wing of the left so they will have another impeachment/removal excuse. After the latest DOJ release of evidence showing Biden and Barack were tag teaming the illegal investigation of Hilary's opponent the left are obviously going to double down. What do those three expect to gain by allowing this subversion to continue?
Posted by: Fred | 24 June 2020 at 06:46 PM
My limited understanding is that the Guard are not armed to prevent the. possibility of provocateurs sniping at the protesters and blaming. the guard. I have been in similar situations here during Vietnam when we were not even allowed to wear uniform lest we “provoke” protesters.
I know it stinks that we have to pander to these rotten creeps but a park full of dead protesters is not in President Trumps interests as far as re election goes once the media finish with such an event.
The Guard is effectively a tethered bait for the violent agitators among the left. It’s a shitty job but it needs to be done. If they are attacked, then the President has a strong case for much more force.
Posted by: walrus | 24 June 2020 at 07:45 PM
walrus
How many dead Guardsmen is Trump's election worth?
Posted by: turcopolier | 24 June 2020 at 07:51 PM
Esper has repeatedly proved to be an empty suit.
McCarthy a junior empty suit.
Milley - another swamp politician dressed up like a doorman who, like the rest of the flag officers, has the military track record of a Girl Scout.
Posted by: TV | 24 June 2020 at 08:24 PM
The DC Guard is armed. Armed with scrub brushes and trash bags to clean up the mess.
Posted by: Account Deleted | 24 June 2020 at 08:57 PM
Do we still have BZ gas in the arsenal? Time to break it out.
Posted by: Eric Newhill | 24 June 2020 at 10:12 PM
A crowd in Wisconsin pulled down a statue of Hans Christian Heg, an abolitionist who died fighting as a colonel in the Union Army. This isn't about racism. For some it's about excitement and fun, for others it's about destroying Western culture and forming a more perfect union--for themselves.
https://globalnews.ca/news/7101452/madison-wisconsin-hans-christian-heg/
Posted by: optimax | 24 June 2020 at 10:52 PM
'Unarmed' may be an incomplete description of their configuration when they deploy. Their command has had two weeks to get them ready for future Public Order missions and I'd expect they'll roll up with batons, shields, body armour, gas, a day's rations, after at least a week's worth of formation, tactics and comms training in the role on a MOUT range somewhere being pelted with rocks and bottles day and night by a suitably vocal and attired 'OPFOR' crowd. Actually sounds like fun.
Weapons ? Holstered pistols on secure lanyards for personal protection and concealed sniper overwatch is all they would need to be 'unarmed' enough to satisfy the politics of their presence.
Being so 'unarmed' in the role of static defenders without obstacles in front of them gives them plenty of leeway in regards to what they can inflict upon the anarchists and chancers who run up on them.
Posted by: PRC90 | 24 June 2020 at 11:57 PM
View this decision as the other side of the page to that outrageous open letter Milley wrote to the troops a few weeks back.
As in: he does not appear to trust US soldiers to be professional when facing off again political uproar, and because of that distrust he is not willing to put guns in their hands.
There is a pattern of behaviour here, this is not a decision to be viewed in isolation.
Posted by: Yeah, Right | 25 June 2020 at 12:36 AM
Traditionally, I would have to agree with you on your talking point, however, in the wake of our endless wars, the Guard has swollen with many, MANY combat veterans of both Iraq and Afghanistan. Certainly, the quality and range of expertise of many guard units will vary wildly, which is a codnemnation of leadership and training, but the guard's presence alone _should_ be adequate deterrence to the type of opportunistic idiots committing these acts of terrorism. And YES... the willful destruction of statues is not vandalism. These are acts of terrorism designed to send the clear message that they wish to destroy the United States and our Constitutional government.
I have faith and trust in my brothers in the Guard.
Posted by: Kurt | 25 June 2020 at 02:47 AM
kurt
"the guard's presence alone _should_ be adequate deterrence to the type of opportunistic idiots committing these acts of terrorism" Hopelessly romantic.
Posted by: turcopolier | 25 June 2020 at 08:51 AM
optimax,
" it's about destroying Western culture "
That's exactly right.
Posted by: Fred | 25 June 2020 at 10:02 AM
ANTIFA is planning according to their social media to burn the U.S. flag at Gettysburg on July 4, and after that then they're all supposed to meet at the local Perkins Restaurant to debrief all their activities that day.
I don't care who likes it, but I still say that ANTIFA need to be made to disappear permanently as they have declared war on our Republic, and are willfully endangering the lives of our fellow countrymen.
Three years ago ANTIFA leaderships were spotted down south training in hand to hand combat and urban guerilla warfare techniques. They are trained killers.
Posted by: J | 25 June 2020 at 10:16 AM
So what is the chain of command for the DCARNG? I see the Adjutant General has come up through the DCARNG MP Bn, but there's also a 2-star Commanding General. Does the mayor have the authority of a state gov when guard is not federalized?
Posted by: scott s. | 25 June 2020 at 10:44 AM
scotts
No, the DC Guard is directly subordinate to the president. the mayor has no authority over it.
Posted by: turcopolier | 25 June 2020 at 11:13 AM
Having the Hundred and First Airborne "The Screaming Eagles" there ,fully armed and ready works for me.........Have plenty of buses there to transport those arrested to jail.......Swarm the very first people who break any law.Those convicted of a felony should be sent to a working prison.............I was raised a few miles from the prison camp used in the movie "Cool Hand Luke".It was actually in use at the time.The movie was based on a true story that happened in Florida.................These mobs are going to have to be confronted............The sooner the better.
Posted by: Phillip e Cattar | 25 June 2020 at 04:50 PM
In the 1980's a drunken sailor returning from liberty decided to try to take the Marine gate guard's 45. The Marine shot & killed the sailor. The Navy base commander was horrified & ordered that the Marine guards be disarmed. The Commandant of the Marine Corps informed the Navy that if Marine guards were to man the gate, they would be armed. If the Navy wanted unarmed guards, they should hire rent-a-cops. The armed Marines remained on duty.
Posted by: Booby Hatch | 25 June 2020 at 06:19 PM