Officials mobilize 10,000 National Guard Members for inauguration

Some 10,000 members of the National Guard are being mobilized for next week’s inauguration festivities.

“We want to be well-positioned to support civil authorities,” Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Mike Milord told The Examiner on Thursday.

It’s one of the largest inaugural mobilizations in the Guard’s history, Milord said, with members from nine states and the District.

At least 2,000 are coming from Maryland and Virginia, Milord said.

Official estimates vary, but millions are expected to come to D.C. to see Barack Obama take the oath of office as the first black man to serve as U.S. president. Police, fire and rescue workers are coming from all over the country to help the District move people safely and to protect the nation’s capital.