Nearly 400 members of the Washington state National Guard have been activated to support the presidential inauguration day in the nation’s Capitol next week.
In a tweet Thursday, the National Guard said they will “support our federal partners in a number of different roles as determined by the lead agency.”
Members of the Washington National Guard stand at a sundial near the Legislative Building, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. Governors in some states have called out the National Guard, declared states of emergency and closed their capitols over concerns about potentially violent protests. Though details remain murky, demonstrations are expected at state capitols beginning Sunday and leading up to President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday.
Ted S. Warren / AP
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn in on Wednesday, and the extra security comes in the wake of the insurgence at the U.S. Capitol during certification of the Electoral College votes last week and threats of further violence.
The Seattle Times reported that Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told Vice President Mike Pence at a briefing Thursday that the number of National Guard troops in the nation's capital from around the country has grown to about 21,000.
The 8,000-member Washington National Guard, which can be called upon to serve as part of the nation’s military force, is at the call of Gov. Jay Inslee, who mobilizes and deploys the guard to respond to emergencies.