Defense officials had previously said the 800 National Guard soldiers deployed to the city wouldn’t be armed, unlike many federal law enforcement agents sent to the capital. They also weren’t to have weapons in their vehicles. “Weapons are available if needed but will remain in the armory,” the U.S. Army said in a press release Thursday.
Late Friday, some Guard members deployed to Washington were told to expect an order to carry weapons, according to people familiar with the planning. However as of Saturday morning, no formal order had been given, a Defense Department official said.
A Pentagon spokeswoman referred questions to the Army. An Army spokesman didn’t return a request for comment.
That sounds like a warning order went out, which may not be followed up with a fragmentary order to that effect later. I would guess these 'some' are very few, perhaps a military police unit that is going to be kept armed as a quick reaction force in case anyone attacks a Guard position. There won't be hundreds of armed Guardsmen roaming the city.
In Iraq, we didn't carry loaded rifles or handguns until and unless we were actually going outside the wire. Even the regulars did not. The National Guard units I was with very regularly shot their clearing barrels on the way back in. They're just not used to carrying loaded guns all the time. Their NCOs know that and will be putting maximal allowed restrictions to try to stop problems. The officers know that, and will be trying to give their sergeants as free a hand as possible to stop problems.
My trip to DC has been moved up to this month, so I guess I'll see for myself soon enough. I'm expecting noisy protests but not any real violence.
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A family friend, former Air Force NCO, once related a story of taking a shift off guard duty and due to fatigue giving the orders to load and fire a volley rather than the ones to clear and dry-fire the empty weapons. The sound of multiple M16s discharging caused all sorts of excitement until the cause was revealed.
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