* Press release…
At the request of the U.S. Department of Defense, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has activated approximately 500 Illinois National Guard members in support of the continued security mission in Washington, D.C. The mission in Washington, D.C. will not impact the Illinois National Guard’s ability to perform the vaccination distribution mission, with 325 members of the guard already activated to carry out that mission and hundreds more to come online in the coming weeks.
“The U.S. Department of Defense has asked Illinois to assist federal and local agencies in this continued effort, and Major General Neely and I are ready to ensure that the state of Illinois continues its proud legacy of protecting our democracy,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Ultimately, we must root out the dark forces of racism, white supremacy and disinformation that have created this moment, but until we do that, our extraordinary troops will deploy with honor.”
The Illinois Army National Guard soldiers, along with a small contingent of Illinois Air National Guard airmen, are expected to remain on duty in the nation’s capital until mid-March. While Illinois National Guard members who deployed for the Presidential Inauguration have since returned to Illinois, approximately 50 members of that mission have volunteered to return for this mission. The Illinois Army National Guard’s Chicago-based 108th Sustainment Brigade and its subordinate battalion, the North Riverside-based 198th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, will provide the bulk of the Illinois National Guard force for the Washington, D.C. mission.
“We are deploying these forces in support of civilian law enforcement based on threat-levels against the U.S. Capitol. These threats were assessed by the FBI and other federal agencies,” said Maj. Gen. Rich Neely, the Adjutant General of Illinois and Commander of the Illinois National Guard. “Our soldiers and airmen are committed to the defense of both our nation and our state. We have asked a lot of them in the last year and each time these men and women have answered the call and upheld their oath to defend and support the U.S. Constitution. I could not be more proud of these Soldiers and Airmen.”
The Illinois National Guard forces will join a force of approximately 7,000 National Guard members from throughout the United States in assisting federal and local agencies with safety and security throughout Washington, D.C. In February that force will draw down to 5,000, which will include the Illinois National Guard service members who will stay on until mid-March.
The Illinois National Guard members were activated under the provisions of U.S. Title 32, which leaves them under the authority of the Governor with all costs paid by the federal government. The Illinois National Guard members supporting the COVID-19 vaccine distribution mission in Illinois were also activated under the same provision of U.S. law.
The Illinois National Guard troops will be in Washington, D.C. by the beginning of next week.
* Related…
* Extremists Emboldened by Capitol Attack Pose Rising Threat, Homeland Security Says - The warning was a notable departure for a Department of Homeland Security accused of being reluctant during the Trump administration to publish intelligence reports or public warnings about the dangers posed by extremists and white supremacist groups.
- Last Bull Moose - Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:10 pm:
What information do they have? Who knows what evil lurks on the hearts of men?
I do not want to tar all Trump supporters with sedition. But evil stalks our land.
- Dotnonymous - Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:14 pm:
The criminal leader of the Proud Boys has been outed as a career snitch along with the (now remarkable and growing) number of miscreant criminals who tried to impose their will on January 6th…a day that will live in infamy.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:29 pm:
Any thoughts from Congresswoman Miller?
- Paddyrollingstone - Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:58 pm:
I pass on my thanks and well wishes to those serving to protect our capitol. Such a distressing thing but there I am grateful to those who give meaning to those words of the oath:
“I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic”
- Tim - Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 2:06 pm:
=== What information do they have? ===
Some of the Q types seem to have moved on to targeting March 4 for… Reasons.
- Because I said so.... - Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 2:06 pm:
What the heck is going on in our country????
As if it isn’t bad enough we are fighting a pandemic that should have been controlled/managed responsibly, we have to deal with this.
The thought that a bad reality television personality was able to do this to our country burns me to the core. He, his enablers and Roger Ailes are to blame.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 2:12 pm:
===moved on to targeting March 4 for… Reasons===
They are among the stupidest people alive on this planet.
- Nuke The Whales - Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 2:14 pm:
==Some of the Q types seem to have moved on to targeting March 4 for… Reasons.==
March 4th was the swearing in date for POTUS and VPOTUS prior to the Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
- Give Me A Break - Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 2:17 pm:
Does anyone in the GOP leadership structure ever ask themselves why those prone to violence and hatred seem to have found a home in the GOP and why so many GOP office holders seem more than willing to overlook it and sometimes encourage it?
They just lost the President’s office, both Senate seats in GA and now the leader of the US House GOP is making his way to kiss the ring of the person who led the charge to losing.
I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer but even I know there are not enough old angry white people living in rural America to keep the GOP in the winners circle in the future. But yet, the GOP keeps on keeping on their failing strategy.
- filmmaker prof - Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 2:43 pm:
Rich,
Stupid people + lots of guns = very dangerous
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 2:48 pm:
Sadly, it looks like the GOP will vote to acquit the former president. As for his culpability, the insurrection would have never happened if he didn’t repeatedly and blatantly lie about election fraud and host a protest near the Capitol on the day Congress certified the election, with supporters stoked up for weeks and exploding in anger. As someone said, the party’s political consequences may be dire and brand trashed, siding with fascism, which is the probable outcome.