Pentagon Establishing Riot Units in All States

The National Guard has begun setting up "quick-reaction" riot police forces in all the states, reports the Wall Street Journal and the Guardian.

• Each unit will typically have about 500 Guard soldiers who will get specialized training in crowd control and the use of devices such as batons, Tasers, pepper spray, and body shields, according to Pentagon memos. They're expected to be in place by January.
• The new units—dubbed the National Guard Response Force—are expected to mobilize quickly: a quarter of the force within hours, half within 12 hours, and the remainder within a day. The District of Columbia as well as all US territories also will get the units.

• While most state National Guards have quick-reaction relief teams for natural disasters, training for protest response is a new mandate, one described by the Journal as a "major shift" by the Pentagon, under the mandate of President Trump, to increase the military's role in civil unrest.
• The initiative has drawn criticism from some retired military officials, who warn it could blur the line between military and civilian roles. "Every American, I don't care what state you're from, should understand this isn't what we signed up for," retired Army Maj. Gen. Randy Manner tells the Journal. Janessa Goldbeck, a former US Marine Corps captain and chief executive of the nonprofit Vet Voice Foundation, tells the Guardian the order represents "an attempt by the president to normalize a national, militarized police force."
• A White House spokesperson suggested the concerns are overblown. "The president has lawfully deployed the National Guard to several cities either in response to violent riots that local leaders have refused to quell, or by invitation to assist local law enforcement as appropriate," said Abigail Jackson. "President Trump and the entire administration is working to make America safe again."