25K National Guard troops called to DC ahead of Biden Inauguration
As President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration nears, officials have boosted the number of National Guard members deployed in Washington, D.C., to 25,000 — an increase of 25 percent. Guard members have fanned out across the U.S. Capitol lawn, inside the building and in surrounding areas of D.C. for days. It’s an unprecedented security force, deemed necessary in the wake of a deadly riot at the Capitol and continuing threats of domestic terrorism. At least 7,000 National Guard troops from dozens of states are already on the ground in the nation’s capital, with more expected to arrive in coming days at the request of the Secret Service, said Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau. The military security force will be more than three times the total number of U.S. troops currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, reflecting heightened concerns after supporters of President Trump stormed the Capitol while lawmakers were certifying his loss in the Nov. 3 presidential election. Biden’s inauguration ceremony is slated to take place outside the Capitol on Wednesday. While there will not be the usual throngs of spectators, security officials from multiple law enforcement agencies are worried about online “chatter” that the FBI said points to the possibility of further violence from Trump supporters who believe, falsely, that the election was “stolen.” City officials are erecting a perimeter throughout downtown and putting up barriers around the White House, National Mall and Capitol. In order to travel through the perimeter, people will need to provide proof of essential purpose. Nick Note: To give you a perspective the Normandy D day invasion involved the landing of 24,000 American, British, and Canadian airborne troops