Idaho National Guard troops head for D.C. despite district’s mayor calling for withdrawal
Members of the Idaho National Guard still began flying to Washington, D.C., on Friday despite the district’s mayor calling on President Donald Trump to remove all out-of-state military troops from the city.
During a press conference Thursday, Mayor Muriel Bowser said she wants troops out of D.C. after thousands of National Guard members were sent to the nation’s capital, according to CNN. Troops were sent to handle the protests over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after being pinned down for more than 8 minutes by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
Lt. Col. Chris Borders, spokesman for the Idaho Military Division, told the Statesman that roughly 400 Idaho National Guard personnel are on their way to the nation’s capital city. Borders said the personnel are still going because those are the orders from their superiors, the District of Columbia National Guard.
Borders said he’s aware of Bowser’s comments, but the mission will be carried out as ordered by superiors until instructed otherwise.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little said at a press conference Friday that the Guard called for volunteers to make the trip and had no trouble gathering enough Guardsmen “ready and willing” to go.
“... (That) just speaks to not only the Guard but to Idahoans also,” he said. “Godspeed; I hope they stay safe.”
News of the Idaho National Guard deployment came Thursday afternoon, as members are expected to be in Washington, D.C., for approximately five days. Borders emphasized that this timeline is fluid and is subject to change depending on orders from higher-ups.
While in D.C., the Guardsmen will serve in support of federal and local jurisdictions, as members will be under the guidance of the United States Park Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
On Friday, The Washington Post reported that officials from The Pentagon instructed the D.C. National Guard not to use firearms or munition when dispatched to the District. Borders said members of the Idaho Guard will travel with their full equipment, including weapons, but they will leave any unneeded gear at a military installment upon arrival. He said members knew it was likely they would not be using all their equipment.
Borders noted that once in Washington, members of the Idaho guard will get specific orders and duties from local authorities, including guidelines on use of force, among other guidance.
He added that, as far as he knew, members of the Idaho Guard have not had any issues with finding housing or hotels in Washington, D.C., which has been an issue for other Guardsmen. Around 200 members of the Utah National Guard were evicted from their hotel earlier this week. A new hotel to house the men and women was found a few hours later.
Across Idaho and the rest of the United States, thousands have taken to the streets to protest the death of Floyd. Derek Chauvin was fired along with three other officers after the incident, which saw Chauvin pin Floyd to the ground with his knee on his neck.
Chauvin, as well as the three other former officers, have been criminally charged.
This story was originally published June 5, 2020 at 11:24 AM.
