Nearly 8,000 National Guard members from 40 states have come to Washington.
Nearly 8,000 National Guard members from 40 states have come to the nation’s capital for security ahead of the inauguration on Monday.
Maj. Gen. John Andonie, the commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard, told ABC News’ MaryAlice Parks that he has “never felt more confident about” about the National Guard’s security posture ahead of the big day.
The last-minute move inside the Capitol Rotunda is something that the National Guard members are adjusting to, but he added that their plan is still sound.
“We actually did rehearse several contingencies … and that was just one of several contingencies we’ve been looking at. This is not a surprise. This is just a matter of adjusting to the plan and adjusting to the desires of the incoming administration to support that plan,” Andonie said.
When asked about how this moment feels different than four years ago, Andonie noted that the National Guard learned from the lessons of Jan. 6.
“We’re a learning organization, and so, we take those lessons from the past,” Andonie said. “We’ve adjusted, we’ve changed, and we’re now in a much better position with our law enforcement partners, a great amount of coordination and planning.”
He added that their primary purpose is security but that they’ll support communication and logistics with other law enforcement agencies.
“We will have a large contingent of our force, probably about 4,000-plus soldiers, to provide law enforcement support, support to our law enforcement partners, and that security around the outer perimeter and inner perimeter portion of our capital. There will be forces also assigned, too, as a reserve force in case any additional capacity is required or needed,” Andonie said.
When asked about the reports that President-elect Donald Trump has considered mobilizing the National Guard to implement his plans for mass deportations, Andonie said there would be a process for the request of a use of the National Guard.
“We have not received any queries of any type regarding that particular mission set. … First of all, we would have to rely on our law enforcement partners and our civil authorities. We are primarily a resource for them to do their jobs. If our lawmakers and our law enforcement partners request that assistance, that there’s a process for that. All those requests go to the secretary of defense for approval, and we follow our orders, as we always have from our civilian leaders,” Andonie said.
For Sgt. Gaye-Lortu Breeze, it’s his first inauguration as a National Guardsman and also as an American citizen. He immigrated to the United States from Liberia three years ago. Breeze is with the 1067th Composite Truck Company out of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, which is here to help with the inauguration.
“I’ll say what my father said when he brought us over here: This country is one of the best countries you can be in. It’s possibilities for everybody, as you can see right now, immigrants like myself, part of the National Guard. I’m a sergeant. I’m leading my troops. It’s a great opportunity, man,” Breeze said.
“It’s an honor to serve, really, and it’s an honor to be here with my second family, National Guard. It’s been a great opportunity, and it’s an honor to be here with everybody,” Pfc. Connor Kalbach told Parks.
