US National Guard troops deployed to Washington this month to support President Donald Trump's effort to mitigate crime began carrying firearms Sunday evening, according to the federal task force managing the operation.
The majority of the guard members will carry M17 pistols, their service-issued weapons, a Defense Department official with knowledge of the planning, while a small number of the troops will be armed with their service M4 rifles, News.Az reports, citing NBC News.
The troops are authorized to use their weapons for self-protection and "as a last resort" in response to an "imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm," the federal task force said.
A spokesperson for the task force said National Guard members supporting safety and security will be armed, whereas troops who are assigned to “beautification” tasks across the district, which includes tasks like community restoration, most likely will not be.
Several armed National Guard troops were seen Sunday evening patrolling the Chinatown neighborhood of D.C., wearing patches labeled "MP" to signify their role as military police.
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.
The federal task force said it is "currently staffing" a request by local police for "increased Guardsmen presence at pre-specified metro locations" to coincide with the start of school year for many D.C. area schools.
In carrying out Hegseth's directive, the Army said that "Guard members receive initial, regular, ongoing and refresher training" and "complete annual weapons qualifications, prior to carrying weapons."
The federal task force said it is "currently staffing" a request by local police for "increased Guardsmen presence at pre-specified metro locations" to coincide with the start of school year for many D.C. area schools.
In carrying out Hegseth's directive, the Army said that "Guard members receive initial, regular, ongoing and refresher training" and "complete annual weapons qualifications, prior to carrying weapons."
