National Guard Troops Set to Begin Withdrawal After Five Month Occupation of U.S. Capitol

The first several months of Joe Biden’s Presidency have been marked by an unprecedented military occupation of Washington DC. A total of 26,000 National Guard troops were deployed to assist the Capitol Police in response to the events of January 6. The deployment was supposed to come to an end on March 12^th, but approximately 2,000 troops have continued their deployment for an additional 2 months until now.

According to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, the National Guard’s mission was to “help bolster the Capitol Police and their capabilities”. A spokesperson for the DC National Guard, told TV station WUSA9, “The Capitol Police have not requested the Guard to stay past May 23,” although their staff numbers have dramatically dropped to about 230 officers. The Capitol Building will remain off-limits to the public.

The decision to send thousands of soldiers to occupy an American city has drawn intense criticism. Many have spoken out about the subpar living conditions that the troops were subjected to, pointing to dozens of photographs of troops sleeping on the concrete in a parking garage and on the floor of the Capitol Building. Others have reported that several Guard members became sick after having been served undercooked meat.

More harsh criticism came from the National Guard Association, which said that the continued deployment was “completely inappropriate at best, illegal at worst.” Despite all of this, Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, who oversaw a review of the Capitol’s security, said that the Guard’s absence will increase strain on the Capitol Police.

Honoré stated that a “quick reaction force” from the National Guard should be on standby to assist during emergency situations. He also called for the passing of a $1.9 billion bill intended to increase funding for the Capitol Police, DC Police, and National Guard. The bill was passed in the House, but it is expected to be met with heavy resistance in the Senate due to concerns from Republicans over the militarization of our nation’s capitol.

After several months of occupying DC, the National Guard can finally return to their home states and address what Gen. Daniel Hokanson, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, calls “pressing needs” such as “Civil Disturbance, wildfire, hurricane and flood response.”