The Brief
- Thousands of members of the National Guard are arriving in D.C. to help with security on Inauguration Day.
- About 8,000 airmen and soldiers from 40 states and territories are part of the support.
- Inauguration Day is Jan. 20, when President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office before his second term.
WASHINGTON – Thousands of servicemembers with the National Guard are arriving in D.C. to help with Inauguration Day security.
Col. Jonas Patruno with Massachusetts Army National Guard describes the operation as a joint effort. About 8,000 airmen and soldiers from 40 states and territories are part of the support surrounding inauguration events with tasks including crowd management, traffic control points, civil disturbance response, and sustainment operations.
“It’s almost like the perfect mission for us. We do come together across multiple states, which doesn’t happen all the time. We are joint, so we’re working air and Army together and it gives us the ability to learn from each other and see how other folks work,” Col. Patruno said.
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When the servicemembers arrive, they report to the D.C. Armory to get checked in and briefed on topics. The National Guard also has medical and religious support teams for the soldiers and airmen, Patruno said.…