Three Weeks of Historical Wednesdays | 1/6/21, 1/13/21, 1/20/21

These dates will be in the history books for decades to come. Oddly enough, they all fall on a Wednesday and they happen to be the first three Wednesdays of 2021. On January 6th, the U.S. Capitol was met with thousands of protesters who eventually made their way into the building ultimately threatening the safety and security of Congress members who were counting Electoral votes. This breach in security had a domino effect triggering unprecedented, historical, and pivotal moments. On January 13th, President Trump became the first president to be impeached a second time thus signaling an imminent need for heightened security to prevent further unrest. Today, January 20th, President Elect Joe Biden was inaugurated into office with thousands of National Guard Troops securing every corner of D.C.. Leading up today’s event, the safety and security of those involved in the transference of power was the number one priority for officials.

Eight Facts about Military Involvement at the Capitol

1. Approx. 25,000 National Guard troops were sent to the Capitol after the protest that took place two weeks ago. Hundreds of National Guardsmen were seen resting and sleeping next to their shields and guns on the marble floors as they awaited inauguration day. The Virginia National Guard was careful to stress that resting is not the same as lodging in a tweeted statement.

2. There are more U.S. troops deployed at the Capitol right now than in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and Syria combined. In total, about 25,000 troops were on active duty at the hill today. This is more than three times the amount of U.S. troops deployed in foreign regions.

3. 2021 is the first time armed soldiers have been deployed and actively needed in the Capitol building in over 100 years. The last time Guardsmen were called to protect the Capitol Building was during the Civil War.

4. Guard Troops have been authorized to use lethal force, as a last resort, by Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy who oversees D.C. Guard deployments. Since the District is not a state, the request was made by Federal authorities rather than local government forces. Those stationed closest to the Capitol got the green light to carry their M-4 rifles overriding legal restrictions which “prohibit the use of the Military for domestic law enforcement.”

5. The Pentagon headquarters relays that National Guard troops have been involved with every inauguration since George Washington. However, the quantity of troops deployed in D.C. right now is exponentially higher than any inauguration in history. For context, in 2017, about 7,000 National Guard Troops participated in Trump’s inauguration.

6. Armed guards and tanks were and continue to be stationed on street corners surrounding the District, which is extremely rare in D.C., especially during inaugurations. Inaugurations typically garner hundreds of thousands of patrons. Reagan’s inauguration in 1981 was the first year the ceremony was held on the West Side of the Capitol building. However, in combination of Covid and the current political climate, this was the first time masses of citizens were forbidden from witnessing the transition of power on the Capitol’s steps.

7. High ranking officials from the Pentagon and Secret Service, including Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as officials from other agencies met to go over measures like counter-surveillance, aerial and maritime security, along with the National Guards' missions in order to achieve a smooth inauguration.

8. Army Veteran and Florida Rep. Brian Mast gave a history lesson and brief tour to a group of Guardsmen during a moment between shifts. Other Guardsmen are seen keeping busy by playing cards and soaking in the mountainous amount of history the Capitol holds.

Big thank you to all the National Guardsmen for their quick and speedy deployment to the U.S. Capitol. We are honored to have many of them as part of the RallyPoint family. Their patriotism and diligence will never be overlooked and they, too, will be a massive part of history that the first three weeks of January were.