Esper halts Nat. Guard from carrying guns

[soothsayer]

Link to tweet

?s=21

Paywall for the story, so don’t know the deets, but seems like a decent move to de-escalate (unless they can still use all their other stuff).

[Hoyt]

1. I've noticed Guard in SOME other cities weren't armed, at least with rifles, etc.

Makes me think of the great Gen Honore during Katrina yelling at Guard troops, "Put those Goddamn weapons down, that's not what we are here for" (or something like that).

[DashOneBravo]

14. He was great

[uponit7771]

2. Unnnn, Trump already used Esper for his photo-op. Too late

[empedocles]

3. Esper trying

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

4. NG and the military in general

Rarely have loaded weapons while deployed domestically. 99% of the time you see them with rifles, they aren't loaded. And if, IF, they have ammo on them, its maybe 10 rounds, possibly not loaded in a magazine, and if loaded in a magazine, has tamper tape over it. The exception being some Officers and MP's, they may have loaded pistols. The military really doesn't like having personnel carrying loaded weapons unless absolutely necessary. This is why there is always the outcry from the RW to allow soldiers to carry on base whenever there is a shooting on one.

[drray23]

8. Correct. I was an officer in the French military.

whenever we we were out maneuvering in the country side ( as opposed to a military training area closed to public) I and my staff Sergeant were the only one armed with live rounds in our service weapons ( a handgun) . Troops were carrying the famas ( the French equivalent of the m16) but with blanks.

I am assuming its the same in the US military.

[msongs]

9. 4 dead in Ohio nt

[saidsimplesimon]

5. Generational military families

support the "Rule of Law" and separation of "Church and State". It's the rumpublican neer do wells and bigots who are in the minority. Unfortunately, screaming on que for a leader who thinks they are the dumbest "marks", a blessing to a grifter.

[ResistantAmerican17]

6. Bye Felicia

[TreasonousBastard]

7. Look up Kent State Shootings (or Massacre)...

Armed Guardsmen can be big trouble.

[crickets]

10. Found a free version

I started to trying to post excerpts, but the article is long and covered a lot of issues. The same article almost word for word is here:

Pentagon disarms guardsmen in D.C., in signal of de-escalation
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Pentagon-disarms-guardsmen-in-D-C-in-signal-of-15320290.php

It's well worth reading the whole thing, which goes into detail about which states sent in guards, why they were originally there, what's being done about disarming those who remain, who has been giving orders about what, and the tantrums donny is having over the whole thing. Mayor Bowser is just not having it. She wants them gone.

Oddly, no mention of Bill Barr.

[kentuck]

11. The White House needs to be a de-militarized zone.

No exceptions.

That House belongs to the People, unless the Trump Org bought it while we weren't looking?

[roamer65]

12. Is Dump de-arming them because he doesn't trust them?

[Hekate]

13. Is Esper trying to justify staying on the job when he should have quit? Might do some good after all

[DashOneBravo]

15. Some of that might be from this

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-06-02/man-with-assault-rifle-impersonating-national-guard-arrested-downtown-la-protest%3f_amp=true

Some have posted what the Sec of the Army and other US Army generals have said. This isn’t the first time generals have talked to the Army troops like that. Hoyt pointed out what went on during Katrina. It went on when I was in during the 80’s.

Every Army unit (National Guard or active duty) that gets sent to do crowd control during a crisis gets these types of instructions. They get them daily also from the company commanders and sergeants.

And the reason is Kent State. There can’t be another time where the Army fires on citizens.