Guard commander blasts flyer about ‘quarantine’
The commander of the Texas National Guard has attempted to debunk a flyer posted on social media warning about a supposed Homeland Security Department plan to announce a two-week “nationwide quarantine” and mobilization of troops.
The flyer, which has drawn rebukes from Guard organizations around the country, includes a government seal at the top and the words “National Guard” in red on the bottom, along with the U.S. flag.
A warning that it was fake was on the Texas National Guard’s homepage Wednesday afternoon and Maj. Gen. Tracy Norris posted it on her Twitter account at 2:11 p.m., branding the document “FALSE” in large red letters.
“This flyer is circulating on social media and in public, please be aware, that it is fake and the information is untrue.” Norris wrote.
The Texas National Guard is the the nation’s largest, with about 21,000 soldiers and airmen.
The flyer said Homeland
Security was preparing to call up National Guard troops and “dispatch them across the U.S.” along with first-responders. It said the department was “preparing to announce a nationwide 2-week quarantine for all citizens. All businesses closed. Everyone at home.”
The flyer said the announcement would be made “as soon as they have troops in place to help prevent looters and rioters” and urged readers to stock up on “a two week supply of everything.”
It also referred to the
Stafford Act, which allows the president to issue disaster or emergency declarations that could provide federal assistance to states and localities in response to terror attack.
National Guard Association
of the United States spokesman John Goheen said logos like those used in the fabricated flyer are easily made with commonly available software.
People, he added, trust the National Guard and might believe a flyer like that if they see the organization’s logo.
“They should question it and call their local Guard headquarters,” Goheen said, “and confirm it before you believe it.”