MP units to be Guard quick response force

WASHINGTON — The National Guard has designated military police units in two states to serve as rapid reaction forces so they can respond quickly to any potential civil unrest around the country, after violent protests rocked the nation’s capital and several states this summer.

Military leaders don’t explicitly tie the changes to concerns about possible election-related violence, but the nation is bracing for unrest surrounding the presidential campaign, particularly if voting results are not known for days or weeks because of the increase in mail-in ballots.

The Justice Department also is planning to station officials in a command center at FBI headquarters to coordinate the federal response to any disturbances or other problems with voting that may arise across the country, officials familiar with the matter said.

The department monitors elections every year to ensure that voters can cast their ballots, but officials’ concerns are more acute this year.

“The Department of Justice takes election security and integrity seriously, and this year is no exception,” said Kerri Kupec, a Justice Department spokeswoman.

The FBI said in a statement that, as in previous years, it is “committed to protecting the American public’s right to a fair and safe election by securing it,” and that officials “are working closely with our federal, state, and local partners so everyone involved with safe-guarding the election has the information and resources necessary to respond in a timely manner to any violations that may arise.”

“Of course our preparations for 2020 take into account the current climate of the country,” the statement said. “As always, the FBI has a responsibility to plan for a host of potential scenarios.”

According to the Guard, about 600 troops — 300 in both Alabama and Arizona — will be ready to deploy within 24 hours if requested by a governor in another state. Guard leaders have also bought more than $200,000 in new protective equipment, and have increased troop training on proper procedures in dealing with protests.

The moves come as Defense Department and National Guard leaders work to address shortfalls that were identified in the military response to the June protests triggered by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Military reviews of the response to the protests found problems with coordination between various state and federal government and law enforcement agencies — which at times slowed troop movements.

“Coordination and communication were probably the things that we’ll look back on and see very challenging,” Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said in an interview with The Associated Press. He said that as the protests escalated in Washington, D.C., and the call for help went out to governors around the country, 11 states said they were willing to provide support.

Governors can use National Guard troops for a variety of things, ranging from natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires, to assisting with border security and civil unrest. If governors need additional help, they can request troops from other state governors through a compact agreement system that details how the forces will be used and what they can and cannot do.

Lt. Gen. Mark Sasseville, vice chief of the National Guard Bureau, said the Guard employs a graduated approach, with states using their own troops first, and then, if more help is needed, they request forces from other states within their region. If more support is needed, then governors reach out to states further away.

“That makes sense because typically the states have good relations with the neighboring states,” said Sasseville in an interview with AP. “Speed becomes an element of this discussion.”

The problem, however, is that some states couldn’t free up troops to send to others because they also were dealing with protests or other emergencies. The Guard’s decision to formally designate troops in Alabama and Arizona as quick reaction forces will help because those units have aircraft that will allow them to deploy to another state within 24 hours of a governor’s request.