WASHINGTON – The National Guard plans to train hundreds of troops in every U.S. state to serve in new rapid-response units dedicated to civil disturbance missions by early next year, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
The move follows an August executive order signed by President Donald Trump, directing each state to maintain a specialized Guard contingent ready to deploy swiftly to “quell civil disturbances and ensure public safety and order.” The initiative is part of Trump’s growing reliance on military forces to address domestic unrest and enforce order in Democratic-led cities such as Los Angeles, Portland, and Washington, D.C.
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Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said states would be expected to establish the new units by the beginning of next year, with most required to train 500 troops for the mission. The plan’s details were first reported by The Guardian, which cited an internal National Guard memo dated October 8.
While the Pentagon declined immediate comment, questions remain about how these new forces differ from existing quick-reaction units already present in each state. Currently, National Guard protocols require the ability to deploy 125 troops within eight hours and an additional 375 within 24 hours for civil control operations.
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During a visit to U.S. troops in Japan earlier this week, Trump signaled an even broader domestic deployment strategy, stating, “We have cities that are troubled, and we’re sending in our National Guard. And if we need more than the National Guard, we’ll send more than the National Guard because we’re going to have safe cities.”
The creation of state-level rapid-response forces underscores the Trump administration’s ongoing push to expand the military’s role in domestic law enforcement, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers.