A year in, thousands of armed troops have quietly become a fixture of D.C. life
Armed National Guard troops have become a permanent fixture in Washington, D.C., following a controversial deployment that has been extended through 2029. Despite a lack of significant violent crime, the military presence continues to spark debate regarding domestic use of force.
Why it matters
The normalization of military presence in a major U.S. city raises significant constitutional questions about the domestic use of the military and the balance between security and civil liberties.
On a recent sunny day at a neighborhood park in Washington, D.C., dozens of people stretched out on blankets, laughing and picnicking with friends. Dogs happily rolled in the grass. A young dad played catch with a kid. And a line of four National Guard members in full uniform, each armed with a handgun, walked single file through the scene.
The troops paused at a corner and formed a circle facing outward, each looking in a different direction. They stood like that for a minute or two, surveyed the assembled crowd, and then continued on.
Thousands of National Guard members have been patrolling the streets of Washington D.C. for a year now, in an anti-crime deployment that was quietly extended until Inauguration Day of 2029 .
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