National Guard troops could remain in Washington, D.C., until the fall, according to an internal memo.
“If it’s not possible to sustain at the current level with NG personnel, we need to establish the number of NG personnel (DCNG and out-of-state) we can sustain for an extended period — at least through Fall 2021 — and understand additional options for providing DoD support, to include use of reserve personnel, as well as active component,” Robert Salesses, assistant secretary for homeland defense and global security, wrote in a Jan. 20 email obtained by FOX 5.
A meeting is scheduled for this Wednesday to discuss the future plan.
“The National Guard is conducting prudent planning for the eventual end of the security mission and the return of its Soldiers and Airmen to their home stations,” the National Guard said in a statement.
Roughly 26,000 National Guard troops were sent to the nation’s capital ahead of President Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, following the storming of the Capitol building on Jan. 6.
The current plan is to keep about 6,000 troops in D.C. until mid-March, which the Pentagon estimated will cost taxpayers nearly half a billion dollars.
“The National Guard is currently supporting federal agencies through mid-March. We are providing assistance such as security, communications, medical evacuation, logistics, and safety support to state, district, and federal agencies. There are still approximately 6,000 personnel on duty,” a National Guard spokesperson told the Washington Examiner.
Keeping troops in the city has sparked the ire of Republicans, including from Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.
“There are still 5,000 troops this huge perimeter with razor wire. This isn’t really a great image for a free country or for our country,” Paul said on Jan. 29. “So, I say the sooner it’s torn down, the better. Who’s making these decisions, I guess, they’re unilaterally being made by Nancy Pelosi, maybe Chuck Schumer. But, I think also Democrats need to look in the mirror a little bit.”
