WASHINGTON (AP) — When thousands of National Guard troops and law enforcement officers locked down Washington four years ago during racial protests and the Jan. 6 riot, the blur of camouflage and helmets made it nearly impossible to tell the difference between police and troops.
This year the opening will be different.
National Guard leaders have authorized the use of a special shoulder patch with the Guard motto “Always Ready, Always There” to ensure that people attending Monday’s inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump will know who is who.
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“It’s intended to make it easier to identify who is participating in the National Guard,” said Brig. General Leland Blanchard II, Adjutant General of the Washington, D.C., Guard. The patch, he added, will “connect every National Guard participant back to the mission, back to what they do and the importance of participating in this peaceful transition.”
The new red, white and blue surface also depicts a minuteman, long a symbol of the Guard that harks back to the Revolutionary War. The key, said Army Col. Larry Doane, a senior Guard leader, was to provide a visible way to distinguish the troops.
“It’s hard these days because it feels like every law enforcement agency and everyone out there wants to wear the same camouflage pattern that I do,” Doane said. “There is a very, very long tradition in our country about discomfort in the military. overseeing a population, and we want to keep pace with that.”
Officials say the U.S. government is much better prepared for any emergency or incident this year, but they also believe America’s transition of power will be less violent and threatening than in 2021, when about 25,000 Guard troops were deployed in the wake of the war invaded the city. of the Capitol siege.
“After the inauguration four years ago, when there were very serious security concerns, preparation for this event has been very robust and rigorous,” said Army Secretary Christine Wormuth.
About 7,800 Guard troops from more than 40 states and U.S. territories will be on duty, and they have already begun pouring into Washington. Blanchard said one change this year is that troops are arriving a day or two earlier “so that we can make sure that as we’re building up, we keep the lines of communication clear again and that we don’t get overwhelmed. A lot of people come in in a short time.”
The fact that the swearing-in and parade will take place indoors, due to the frigid weather, will likely cause some shifts in the positioning of troops, but no other major changes because troops will still have to secure the area around the Capitol.
Across the city, a wide range of federal government, law enforcement and military officials have been meeting, planning and conducting tabletop exercises for months.
The goal, Blanchard said, is to ensure that all agencies can communicate clearly and consistently during the event. He said many of the exercises and discussions are aimed at ensuring everyone understands their specific roles and responsibilities, and that there will be quick and clear communication if something unexpected happens.
Guard forces will handle crowd management, traffic control and other security measures, and there will be teams to monitor and respond to any chemical, biological or other explosive incident. They will help man 100 traffic checkpoints and five metro stops.
“I feel very comfortable that we did everything we could do,” Blanchard said. “And I think we will see a great, peaceful transition of power. “I am once again excited to stand in our nation’s capital along with many other American citizens and see this happen.”
Intelligence services keep a close eye on whether there are any threats. So far, officials say they don’t see any significant risks, and right now they expect this inauguration to look more like those of eight, 12 or 16 years ago.
In January 2021, the country was in the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was no crowd on the streets that normally line Pennsylvania Avenue for the parade, and attendees were masked. Hotels and restaurants were struggling, so they provided convenient housing and food for the Guard and law enforcement.
This time the hotels and eateries are packed. That’s why Guard officials have found other ways to house, feed and care for the troops who will pour in to help secure the city. In the coming days, they are expected to use a number of downtown buildings that will remain largely empty while federal employees telework.
About 87% of Guard forces will consist of the Army and 13% of the Air Force.