Members of the National Guard might remain in the District of Columbia through the fall, according to a FOX 5 DC report attributed to the Department of Defense.
Robert Salesses, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security, wrote an email, where he mentioned the possibility of extending the duration of the National Guard’s duty in the nation’s capital.
“If it’s not possible to sustain at the current level with NG personnel, we need to establish the number of NG personnel (DCNG and out-of-state) we can sustain for an extended period – at least through Fall 2021 – and understand additional options for providing DoD [Department of Defense] support, to include use of reserve personnel, as well as active component,” Salesses wrote in the January 20 email obtained by FOX 5 DC.
Thousands of National Guard troops were originally planned to stay in DC until mid-March. More than 20,000 National Guardsmen were sent to the District to step up security ahead of President Joe Biden‘s January 20 inauguration in response to the US Capitol insurrection on January 6.
The Guard is tasked with supporting federal law enforcement agencies in the city. US Park Police, US Secret Service, the US Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) have all requested the Guard’s continued assistance, according to a statement from the US Department of Defense released in January.