Wolf: Pa. National Guard will assist in securing D.C. through Inauguration Day

By: Cassie Miller - January 7, 2021 1:12 pm

Soldiers from 1st battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, work together to move across a course during combined arms live fire training on July 30, 2020, at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa. Utilizing radio, hand signals, smoke, and more, the leadership of the Soldiers communicated effectively to cross the course while engaging targets (Pa. National Guard photo.)

Following a day of unrest and violence in the nation’s capital, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Thursday that the Pennsylvania National Guard would be deployed in D.C. now through Jan. 20 for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

Approximately 1,000 of Pennsylvania’s 19,000 National Guard members “have been activated to support the District of Columbia and local civilian authorities through the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration,” a statement from the governor’s office read.

Wolf said that service members would report to their local armories over the next few days to receive their assignments and make their way to D.C.

“Our National Guard members will assist the D.C. National Guard and local civilian authorities as they work to keep the area surrounding the Capitol and other locations secure in the coming days leading up to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden,” Wolf said.

Acting Adjutant General Mark Schindler noted that the Pennsylvania National Guard has experience working in D.C. and with D.C. guard members.

“We are also very fortunate that our Guard members have extensive experience working alongside the D.C. National Guard as part of past training events and presidential inaugurations,” Schindler said.

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Cassie Miller

A native Pennsylvanian, Cassie Miller worked for various publications across the Midstate before joining the team at the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. In her previous roles, she has covered everything from local sports to the financial services industry. Miller has an extensive background in magazine writing, editing and design. She is a graduate of Penn State University where she served as the campus newspaper’s photo editor. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in professional journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In addition to her role at the Capital-Star, Miller enjoys working on her independent zines, Dead Air and Infrared. Follow her on Twitter: @Wordsby_CassieM.