How the National Guard became the go-to military force for riots and civil disturbances
- Written by Shannon M. Smith, Associate Professor of History, College of Saint Benedict & Saint John's University
Virginia National Guard troops in front of the U.S. Capitol building, Feb. 5, 2021.Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesThe Pentagon has approved leaving 5,000 troops deployed indefinitely to protect the U.S. Capitol from domestic extremist threats, down from about 26,000 deployed after the Jan. 6 insurrection.
The National Guard is a