National Guard troops deployed to Washington this month to support President Donald Trump’s effort to mitigate crime will begin carrying firearms Sunday evening, according to a Defense Department official with knowledge of the planning.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday ordered the authorization of roughly 2,000 National Guard troops in D.C. to begin carrying weapons. It marked a shift in the posture of the guard members, who had been unarmed as they worked to support law enforcement by assisting with community safety patrols, traffic control points and crowd flow support.
In carrying out Hegseth’s directive, the Army noted that “Guard members receive initial, regular, ongoing and refresher training” and “complete annual weapons qualifications, prior to carrying weapons.”
* Original Article:
https://www.offthepress.com/national-guard-troops-in-washington-dc-begin-carrying-firearms-report/