Veterans Raise Concerns Over Ohio National Guard Deployment to Washington, D.C.
A group of military veterans and active-duty families has voiced apprehensions regarding the deployment of Ohio National Guard units to the nation’s capital. They argue that the move, intended to support the “D.C. Safe and Beautiful Mission,” may be unlawful and counterproductive.
On Aug. 16, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced 150 military police from the Ohio National Guard would be deployed to Washington, D.C. These soldiers are part of the Joint Task Force District of Columbia (JTF-DC), aligning with President Donald Trump’s Aug. 11 executive order that declared a crime emergency in the District of Columbia. Currently, nearly 1,900 guardsmen from seven states, including North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia, are involved in the mission.
Chris Purdy, an Army National Guard veteran and CEO of The Chamberlain Network, criticized Gov. DeWine, 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.”
Although the members serving with JTF-DC have not been federally activated under Title 10 orders, President Trump reinforced the initiative with an additional executive order on Aug. 25. This order tasks U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth with ensuring that each state’s Army and Air National Guard units are prepared to act as a “quick reaction force” for nationwide deployments, aiding federal and local law enforcement in managing civil disturbances and maintaining public safety.
Following approximately ten days of deployment, the president announced a significant achievement, highlighting that D.C. had experienced seven consecutive days without a homicide and saw crime rates decrease by over 80 percent. However, Dan Maurer, an associate professor at Ohio Northern University College of Law and an Army veteran, contends that the president’s plans to deploy National Guard troops to other states violate The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. This law restricts military involvement in civilian matters unless under extraordinary conditions, such as federalization through the Insurrection Act.
Maurer elaborated, “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.”
Further concerns from Ohio veterans include the impact of deploying National Guard members on community trust. Retired Army Brig. Gen. Christopher Dziubek shared his experiences with the Civil Affairs unit, emphasizing that police possess specialized skills to build trust with community members. He noted the challenges faced when civilians cannot distinguish between law enforcement and the military, particularly in combat environments.
“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,” Dziubek explained.
Navy veteran Kenneth Harbaugh also expressed concerns about the politicization of service members. He highlighted the issue of guardsmen patrolling alongside law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in identical uniforms.
“I think it should be abundantly clear that National Guard troops are not covering their faces, they are not ashamed of serving in uniform,” Harbaugh stated. “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 revealed that U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard III, the 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.”
“This decision is not something taken lightly,” Blanchard commented. “We are in coordination with our law enforcement partners and all appropriate review processes are in place.”
