Overview
- An Oct. 8 memo signed by Maj. Gen. Ronald Burkett directs nearly every state and territory to train dedicated quick reaction forces for civil disturbances, with most states assigning about 500 troops for roughly 23,500 personnel nationwide.
- The guidance mandates crowd-control training and equipment including batons, body shields, Tasers, pepper spray, and de-escalation techniques, plus monthly readiness reporting and two full-time trainers per state.
- The National Guard Bureau will provide 100 sets of crowd-control gear to each state, targeting operational readiness by Jan. 1, 2026, according to the documents.
- A separate Sept. 24 directive orders the D.C. National Guard to stand up a specialized military police battalion, with a 50-person full-time element ready within 90 days and the unit reaching full strength by 2027.
- Guard and Pentagon officials say the plan implements President Trump’s Aug. 25 executive order, with some defense officials calling it an expansion of existing reaction forces as courts continue to weigh or restrict specific deployments in cities including Chicago and Portland, and CNN reporting D.C. orders extended into 2026.