National Guard to use boats, Humvees in expanded DC presence
The Hill · Ellen Mitchell ·
The National Guard will begin using boats, up to 60 marked police cars, and military tactical vehicles in Washington, D.C., after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized the move late last month, a Pentagon official confirmed to The Hill on Thursday. Hegseth authorized the changes in an Oct. 29 memo first reported by Politico, though it…
The National Guard will begin using boats, up to 60 marked police cars, and military tactical vehicles in Washington, D.C., after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized the move late last month, a Pentagon official confirmed to The Hill on Thursday.
Hegseth authorized the changes in an Oct. 29 memo first reported by Politico, though it is unclear what prompted the action that is sure to escalate the National Guard’s presence in the nation’s capital — and in some cases make it difficult to discern between military members and local police.
The guidance “authorizes the use of up to 60 marked patrol cars, military tactical vehicles, up to 20 light towers and generators, and D.C. National Guard maritime boat assets in support of federal and local law enforcement operations,” the official said, adding that the capabilities would be in support of the White House’s “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful” mission.
Read the full story at The Hill · All coverage of this story