Key points
- Executive order mandates National Guard readiness
- States must deploy 500 troops by 2026
- Trump ready to send more than National Guard
WASHINGTON: The National Guard is planning to train hundreds of troops in each state to form a rapid-response force focused on civil disturbance missions by the start of next year.
President Donald Trump has increasingly supported the use of the military to back his domestic agenda, including deploying troops to Democratic-led cities such as Los Angeles, Portland, Oregon, and Washington, D.C, reports Reuters.
This latest initiative follows an executive order signed by Trump in August, which instructed each state to have National Guard troops ready for “quelling civil disturbances and ensuring the public safety and order.”
Two US officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, revealed that each state would be required to establish such a force by the beginning of next year, with most states needing to deploy 500 troops as part of the force.
The specific date for the deployment was first reported by The Guardian, which referred to a National Guard memo from October 8.
Quick-reaction forces
A Pentagon spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
It is unclear how this new force would differ from existing quick-reaction forces already in place in each state.
According to the National Guard, every state currently has a specially trained force available for missions, including civil disturbance management.
These existing National Guard forces must be able to deploy up to 125 troops within eight hours, with a follow-up force of up to 375 personnel within 24 hours. During a recent trip to Japan, Trump told US troops he was prepared to send “more than the National Guard” into US cities if necessary.
“We have cities that are troubled … and we’re sending in our National Guard. And if we need more than the National Guard, we’ll send more than the National Guard because we’re going to have safe cities,” Trump said.
