The Pentagon has directed every state and territory National Guard to establish “quick reaction” forces by January, trained and equipped to respond to riots and civil unrest across the U.S., according to internal War Department memos.
Each unit could include up to 500 soldiers, prepared for rapid deployment on short notice. Personnel will receive nonlethal training in crowd control, handling detainees, and the use of batons, stun guns, body shields, and other equipment, the memos show.
The initiative follows an August directive from President Trump to War Secretary Pete Hegseth. Memos sent to state Guard organizations provide guidance for implementing the specialized units on an expedited, large-scale timeline.
The National Guard Bureau, which oversees state units, will train and equip the forces for “civil disturbance operations,” supplying each unit with 100 sets of crowd control gear, including face and body shields, expandable riot batons, and shin guards for both crowd control and checkpoint operations.
Under the plan, forces in all 50 states, as well as Guam, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, will be capable of deploying 25% of personnel within hours, 50% within 12 hours, and 100% within 24 hours. Washington, D.C., is maintaining a specialized military police battalion for civil unrest response, separate from the nationwide units.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
