The troops would be split into two groups of 300 soldiers and would be stationed at bases in Arizona and Alabama under the plan.
The Trump administration is reportedly weighing plans to create a "reaction force" of National Guard troops that would be deployed to cities across the country during times of civil unrest.
According to the Washington Post, which reviewed internal documents from the Pentagon, the "Domestic Civil Disturbance Quick Reaction Force" would see 600 troops placed on standby at all times so that they could be deployed to areas across the country in as little as an hour.
The troops would be split into two groups of 300 soldiers and would be stationed at bases in Arizona and Alabama. Cost projections included in the documents reportedly suggested that the proposal could cost upwards of hundreds of millions of dollars, if military aircraft and aircrews are also needed to be placed on standby. The documents noted, however, that transporting troops via commercial airlines would be cheaper. Fiscal year 2027, would be the earliest the program is created and funded, if approved.
The plan mirrors a similar one implemented ahead of the 2020 election, in which 600 troops were placed on standby in Arizona and Alabama following weeks of rioting across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
This comes as Trump has deployed troops to various cities across the nation since the start of his second term, including the southern border, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC.
One action memo within the documents obtained by the outlet, dated July 22, recommended that Army military police and Air Force security forces go through additional training for the missions. The proposal includes a rotation of troops from Army and Air Force National Guard units based in states including Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Of the 300 troops stationed in one location, the first 100 would be outfitted with weapons and riot gear and be ready to move within an hour, while the next two waves of 100 each would be ready to move within two and 12 hours' notice, or all would be deployed at once.
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