Pentagon Orders National Guard Quick Reaction Forces

Internal Pentagon memos direct the National Guard to build and train “quick reaction” forces drawn from all 50 states and territories — roughly 23,500 troops (about 500 per state) — to be equipped and ready for civil‑unrest missions by early 2026 under an Oct. 8 order signed by Maj. Gen. Ronald Burkett. Training and issued equipment focus on crowd‑control tactics such as squad‑level riot formations, batons and body shields, Tasers, pepper spray and de‑escalation techniques, and the Pentagon plans to send military trainers to states to implement the program. The push follows President Trump’s executive order and public statements threatening to send “more than the National Guard” into U.S. cities, and officials have already deployed Guard units to places like Washington, D.C. Democratic governors, civil‑liberties advocates and other opponents are mounting legal and political challenges, warning the program risks unprecedented federalization and militarization of domestic law enforcement and could be used for immigration enforcement or other non‑security objectives. The Pentagon and White House have offered limited public comment on the leaked plans.