The Pentagon has directed the National Guard to establish "quick reaction" forces in every state and U.S. territory by January, according to internal War Department memos reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
The units are being formed to respond rapidly to incidents of civil unrest within the country.
Each state or territorial National Guard will comprise up to 500 soldiers to these units. They will receive nonlethal training in crowd control, detainee handling, and the use of batons, stun guns and body shields, the memos said.
President Donald Trump instructed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in August to create the specialized forces. The documents show the Pentagon is implementing the directive on an accelerated schedule.
"The Department of War will be prepared to immediately provide support to federal, state, and local law enforcement to address threats of civil disturbance," Hegseth wrote in a Sept. 24 memo ordering formation of the "National Guard Response Force" for "rapid mobilization as the circumstances require."
Trump has emphasized an expanded role for the military in addressing domestic unrest, both during the 2020 protests and since returning to office.
He has authorized deployments of the National Guard and active-duty troops to several cities to assist law enforcement.
A National Guard official said the organization is coordinating with the Pentagon and state leaders to implement the August executive order.
In Washington, D.C., the National Guard has been directed to maintain a specialized military police battalion for civil unrest response, one of the memos said.
Most state National Guard units already have quick reaction elements primarily used for disaster relief, providing area security and restoring essential services. The new directive formalizes those capabilities for civil disturbance response.
In several states, planning and training for the mission are already underway, including identifying troops for the quick-mobilization forces, according to an individual involved in the process.
In June, Trump sent National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to protests and to protect federal immigration facilities, despite opposition from California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
More than 2,500 National Guard members from Washington, D.C., and multiple states have been patrolling the capital under a federally declared "crime emergency" since August.
Earlier this month, National Guard units began joint patrols with police in Memphis, Tennessee.
National Guard deployments ordered to Chicago and Portland, Oregon, remain pending due to ongoing legal challenges.
Under federal law, the troops cannot make arrests and may only detain individuals posing a threat until police take custody.
Jim Mishler ✉
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