The National Guard is rolling out “quick-reaction” riot police units in every U.S. state, as reported by the Wall Street Journal and The Guardian.
Each unit will include roughly 500 Guard soldiers trained in crowd control and the use of equipment such as batons, Tasers, pepper spray, and body shields, according to Pentagon memos. Officials expect the units—named the National Guard Response Force—to be fully operational by January.
The units are designed for rapid mobilization: a quarter of the force could deploy within hours, half within 12 hours, and the rest within 24 hours. The District of Columbia and all U.S. territories will also receive these units. While most state National Guards already maintain quick-response teams for natural disasters, training specifically for protest response marks a new directive. The Journal describes the plan as a “major shift” by the Pentagon under President Trump, intended to increase the military’s capacity to respond to civil unrest.
The initiative has sparked criticism from some retired military officials, who caution that it may blur the line between military and civilian roles. “Every American, I don’t care what state you’re from, should understand this isn’t what we signed up for,” retired Army Maj. Gen. Randy Manner told the Journal. Janessa Goldbeck, a former Marine Corps captain and CEO of the nonprofit Vet Voice Foundation, told The Guardian that the order could be seen as “an attempt by the president to normalize a national, militarized police force.”
A White House spokesperson pushed back against the criticism. “The president has lawfully deployed the National Guard to several cities either in response to violent riots that local leaders have refused to quell, or by invitation to assist local law enforcement as appropriate,” said Abigail Jackson. “President Trump and the entire administration are working to make America safe again.”