According to the US "military" website reported on January 10, the US National Guard deployed to Washington, D.C., will carry lethal weapons.
U.S. Army and Air National Guard commanders said Jan. 9 that National Guard members currently deployed to Washington will have the right to use lethal weapons, which will be up to their commanders.
Brigadier General David Wood, director of the Pennsylvania National Guard's Joint Staff, said at a virtual roundtable: "It is a fact that soldiers and pilots do carry lethal weapons. "The rules on how to use force depend on the specific circumstances, and we will do our best to de-escalate the situation until weapons are taken out." ”
That day, David Wood, along with Maj. Gen. Timothy E. Gawain, deputy commander of the Maryland National Guard, and Colonel Lisa Hou, interim deputy commander of the New Jersey National Guard, attended a virtual roundtable to respond to questions about their emergency deployment in Washington.
All three commanders said they were already planning to send troops to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 20. But after Trump supporters attacked the Capitol, they had to scramble on Wednesday. Because Washington is a federal district and not a state, Washington Mayor Mullier Bowser does not have the authority to mobilize the National Guard independently as other states, and must first make a request to U.S. Secretary of the Army McCarthy. McCarthy must also coordinate with state governors to be transferred to the National Guard from outside Washington, D.C.
On Jan. 6, McCarthy said more than 5,000 military personnel from six states would join the ranks of the 1,100 National Guard members already on duty in Washington. They will be based in Washington, working 12-hour shifts for up to 30 days, but not until at least January 20, when Biden's inauguration is over. McCarthy said Jan. 7 that Pentagon officials were considering changes to the "rules on the use of force," which would include authorization to carry weapons.
Gawain, deputy commander of the Maryland National Guard, said the situation was beginning to be chaotic before they were approved to travel to Washington. By the time they received orders to deploy at around 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 6, Tromb's supporters had already withdrawn from the Capitol. "Everyone wants to help, but sometimes they can't," he said. "We have to accept the idea that the National Guard is not a First Response Force."
Gawain said Maryland sent about 500 troops to Washington, D.C.; Wood said Pennsylvania sent about 1,000 troops; and New Jersey sent 500 troops.
Source: World Wide Web