Veterans Oppose National Guard Deployment to D.C. for Law Enforcement

Ohio Veterans Challenge National Guard Deployment to Washington, D.C.

A group of Ohio military veterans and active-duty families are voicing their opposition to the recent deployment of National Guard units to Washington, D.C., raising legal and community trust concerns.

On August 16, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced the deployment of 150 military police from the Ohio National Guard to the nation's capital. These troops are part of the Joint Task Force District of Columbia (JTF-DC), supporting the initiative known as the “D.C. Safe and Beautiful Mission.” Currently, nearly 1,900 guardsmen from seven states, including North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia, are involved in this mission. This move aligns with President Donald Trump’s August 11 executive order declaring a crime emergency in Washington, D.C.

Chris Purdy, an Army National Guard veteran and CEO of The Chamberlain Network, criticized Governor DeWine’s decision, stating, “These are the military of each state effectively. If the president wants to federalize the National Guard, then that’s a fight he can have. For governors to go along with something they know is wrong, is a real dereliction of duty on their part.”

Despite not being federally activated under Title 10 orders, President Trump reinforced his stance with an additional executive order on August 25. This directive mandates U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to ensure that each state's Army and Air National Guard units are prepared to act as a "quick reaction force" for nationwide deployments. These units are expected to assist federal and local law enforcement in managing civil disturbances and maintaining public safety.

Following a ten-day deployment, the president highlighted a significant achievement, noting that D.C. had experienced seven consecutive days without a homicide and saw crime rates decrease by over 80 percent.

Dan Maurer, an associate professor at Ohio Northern University College of Law and an Army veteran, argued that the president’s intent to deploy National Guard troops across other states violates the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. He explained, “Assuming the crime rate is statistically lower than it was a week ago — and that you can attribute it to the National Guard — the end is justifying the means and that’s not what the law says. The law prohibits the use of the military even if it’s sufficient, even if it’s successful, unless certain conditions exist that warrant it.”

Additionally, Ohio veterans expressed worries about the potential impact of deploying National Guard units on community trust in military personnel. Retired Army Brig. Gen. Christopher Dziubek recalled his experience with the Civil Affairs unit, emphasizing that police work relies heavily on building trust with the community. He noted, “Police are hampered when they put on a uniform in a deployed environment and try to exercise those same skillsets to gain the trust of an indigenous population, in a place where the Army has been for combat operations.”

Navy veteran Kenneth Harbaugh voiced his concerns about the politicization of service members, particularly as National Guard troops work alongside law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Washington. He stated, “I think it should be abundantly clear that National Guard troops are not covering their faces, they are not ashamed of serving in uniform. But they are being associated unfairly with other government organizations — levers of power — that are not behaving as professionally. Connecting the National Guard to that is one more step towards politicization of the military and betraying the trust that we have — for so long — held dearly between the military and the society it exists to protect.”

In a recent press release, JTF-DC announced that U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard III, interim commanding general of the D.C. National Guard, authorized guard members supporting JTF-DC to carry their service-issued weapons “after careful consideration of the security environment.” Blanchard affirmed, “This decision is not something taken lightly. We are in coordination with our law enforcement partners and all appropriate review processes are in place.”