…from Politico
“Yesterday dozens of senators and congressmen walked down our lines taking photos, shaking our hands and thanking us for our service. Within 24 hours, they had no further use for us and banished us to the corner of a parking garage. We feel incredibly betrayed.”
[ Editor’s Note: This was a beyond stupid mistake by Capitol police when they have the security failure issue already on their plates..dissing the National Guard this way. But what makes it worse is that it shows another major lack of coordination goof, one that should have been a no brainer to avoid.
I would have to suggest that even though a new person is head of the Capitol Police, that it might need a three member babysitter team to watch over daily operations until it can prove they can run the show without goofs like this.
Unfortunately it gives credence to an old dig that government workers are the folks that could not get a real job in the public, which has little basis for the large majority of gov workers, but apparently not for some.
Off the top of my head I would wonder why the Capitol police would make any security deployment move, especially one with the Guard, without coordinating with the Congressional leadership. “Hello, is anybody home…hello.”
My god, talk about bad optics, this one on steroids. That said, these are stressful times, and professional psyops create stuff like this because it increases the chances of home grown goofs and chaos without the hidden hands fingerprints on it… Jim W. Dean ]
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First published … January 22, 2021
Thousands of National Guardsmen were allowed back into the Capitol Thursday night, hours after U.S. Capitol Police officials ordered them to vacate the facilities, sending them outdoors or to nearby parking garages after two weeks pulling security duty after the deadly riot on Jan. 6.
One unit, which had been resting in the Dirksen Senate Office building, was abruptly told to vacate the facility on Thursday, according to one Guardsman. The group was forced to rest in a nearby parking garage without internet reception, with just one electrical outlet, and one bathroom with two stalls for 5,000 troops, the person said. Temperatures in Washington were in the low 40s by nightfall.
…All National Guard troops were told to vacate the Capitol and nearby congressional buildings on Thursday, and to set up mobile command centers outside or in nearby hotels, another Guardsman confirmed. They were told to take their rest breaks during their 12-hour shifts outside and in parking garages, the person said.
…Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) tweeted: “If this is true, it’s outrageous. I will get to the bottom of this.” And Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) noted that the Capitol complex remains closed to members of the public, “so there’s plenty of room for troops to take a break in them.”
You can read the whole Politico article here.
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Jim W. Dean is VT Editor Emeritus. He was an active editor on VT from 2010-2022. He was involved in operations, development, and writing, plus an active schedule of TV and radio interviews. He now writes and posts periodically for VT.
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Could this have anything to do with almost 200 of them testing positive for the virus?
It sounds like it could be set up to make Biden and Dem congress look bad but we need to see what the investigation uncovers.
These are the types of memes and sound bites that Trumpist TV, radio and social media love to parrot ad nauseam for years.
Also, it could be the coup dead enders trying to lash out at the National Guard who they are furious with because they assisted in clearing and securing the Capitol thus contributing to the failure of their plan to install Trump for a second or lifetime term.
Our national security has a track record of being missing when its needed, and excessively over the top when there is no danger.
The track record over 20 years, is bad enough to defund by 80%. And the rub is, we would have a much more efficient security apparatus by doing so. We are sitting on trillions of waste.
3 Guard members died miles from my house the night of the inauguration. Once again, training in choppers in residential neighborhoods. Insane.
We’re not getting the whole story here, it’s been cherry-picked.
It’s just their breaks being talked about here. They talk about “resting” making it sound like they’re being housed in a parking garage. They’re not.
It sounds like there was a lot soldiers standing around on break in the buildings being in the way and making the capitol police’s job harder. It was asked that alternative break areas be set up until more permanent arrangements could be established. They’re soldiers–they’re already on duty outside with appropriate cold-weather gear, they can take their breaks there. A heated parking garage should be fine. No internet? Go outside and get a signal. Soldiers bitch, it’s not news.
Politico is muckraking for propaganda. I just want to know why they flipped so quick.
Sad story, Mr.Dean. But it is the real truth. Thank you for this article. These guys must go home. Not to be like stray dogs. The way they are treated badly is ridiculous.
I am a Vietnam Veteran,
I have felt that way for 50 years.
But, anyway Mr. Dean, I appreciate the thought.
Thank You Sir, for sticking up for my Brothers.
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