The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20210120022424/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/us/politics/national-guard-capitol-biden-inauguration.html

12 National Guard Members Removed From Inauguration Duties Amid Extremist Threats

Two of them made threatening comments toward lawmakers, and one expressed support for President Trump. The others were removed for a wide variety of reasons.

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Two National Guard Troops Removed for Possible Links to Extremist Groups

Defense Department officials said on Tuesday that two of the 12 National Guard troops who were removed from duties related to the inauguration of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. might have ties to right-wing extremist movements.

“With respect to comments about extremism, let me be clear. Extremism is not tolerated in any branch of the United States military. If there were reported issues, our leaders will address them immediately, in accordance with established department policies and include coordination with law enforcement. If there is any identification or anything whatsoever that needs to be looked into, out of an abundance of caution, we automatically pull those personnel off the line and make sure that they’re not part of the mission set. And in certain cases, we make sure that we get them sent home. But I’m not concerned as a large part of our organization. If you look at 25,000. We’ve had 12 identified, and some of those they’re just looking into it — may be unrelated to this, but we want to make sure, out of an abundance of caution as I stated earlier, that we do the right thing until that gets cleared up.” Reporter: “You are confirming that there are 12 people who have been removed from National Guard duty. There are reports that two of those were linked to so-called right-wing militias. Are you confirming that as well right now?” “All I would say with those two individuals is inappropriate comments or texts that were put out there. And as we stated, just out of an abundance of caution, we want to make sure that there’s no issues at all, and that those properly get looked into.”

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Defense Department officials said on Tuesday that two of the 12 National Guard troops who were removed from duties related to the inauguration of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. might have ties to right-wing extremist movements.CreditCredit...Erin Schaff/The New York Times

WASHINGTON — Twelve National Guard members have been removed from duties related to the inauguration of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr., two of them for expressing anti-government sentiments, Defense Department officials said on Tuesday.

Two of the members were removed over texts and social media posts that made threatening comments toward political officials, Pentagon officials said. They declined to specify the exact nature of the threats.

“I will share that they were inappropriate,” Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, told reporters during a telephone briefing.

Two officials described the texts as broad in nature — not directed specifically at Mr. Biden or Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, but rather at lawmakers as a whole. One of the service members removed, the officials said, made a point of expressing support for President Trump in addition to making menacing comments.

General Hokanson said that one case was reported by the service member’s chain of command and that the other was flagged through a tip to a hotline.

The other 10 National Guard members were removed for a wide variety of issues — criminal investigations, domestic abuse or outstanding complaints. All 12 members have been sent home, Pentagon officials said.

The announcement of the removals came as the Pentagon was intensifying efforts to identify and combat white supremacy and other far-right extremism in its ranks, and as federal investigators sought to determine how many military personnel and veterans joined the violent assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6. The effort seems intended to remove any members whose social media posts or past actions raise suspicion.

General Hokanson noted that the authorities were not taking any chances one day before the inauguration and as investigators have expressed concerns that some extremists may try to impersonate National Guard members by wearing military uniforms.

“At this point we don’t have the time to run down every single piece of information,” he said. “But there’s enough information for us to determine to remove them from the Capitol.”

General Hokanson and other Pentagon officials took pains to say that most National Guard members — volunteer citizen-soldiers — put their lives on the line at home and abroad to protect the United States and the Constitution.

Senator Jack Reed, Democrat of Rhode Island and the likely new chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said in a statement that the men and women of the National Guard “put their lives on hold to answer the call to service.”

“They will defend the U.S. Capitol with their lives,” he said, “and I trust them implicitly with mine.”

The acting defense secretary, Christopher C. Miller, said on Sunday that the F.B.I. was helping the military vet more than 25,000 National Guard members being deployed to help protect the Capitol and areas in central Washington because of potential security concerns.

All military personnel, including those in the National Guard, undergo extensive background investigations and physical examinations, including assessments of tattoos. They are continuously monitored for indications that they are involved in extremist activity and receive training to identify others around them who could be “insider threats.”

The Presidential Inauguration ›

Answers to your questions about Inauguration Day:

Joseph R. Biden Jr. will become president of the United States at noon on Jan. 20 in a scaled-back inauguration ceremony. While key elements will remain traditional, many events will be downsized and “reimagined” to better adapt the celebration to a nation battling the coronavirus. Mr. Biden will be sworn in by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. on the Capitol’s West Front sometime before noon. The new president is then expected give his inaugural address and conduct a review of military troops, as is tradition. But instead of a traditional parade before cheering spectators along Pennsylvania Avenue as the new president, vice president and their families make their way to the White House over a mile away, there will be an official escort with representatives from every branch of the military for one city block.

President Trump announced Friday that he would not attend Mr. Biden’s inauguration. Mr. Biden called that decision “one of the few things he and I have ever agreed on. Still, it is a major break with tradition for a president to skip the ceremonial heart of the country’s democracy: the peaceful transfer of power.

George W. Bush, has confirmed he would travel to Washington for Inauguration Day, along with Laura Bush, the former first lady. Barack Obama and Bill Clinton are also expected to attend, along with former first ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. This year, tickets are not available to members of the public. Planners are urging people to stay home and participate in virtual inaugural events to prevent large crowds that could easily spread the coronavirus. Events will be live streamed by the Presidential Inaugural Committee and by The New York Times.

The 20th Amendment to the Constitution requires that the term of each elected president and vice president begin at noon Jan. 20 of the year after the election. Every president has taken the oath of office, and they cannot assume their positions without doing so. Symbolically, it marks the peaceful transfer of power from the current president to the next. Inauguration Day will be all the more important this year, as Mr. Biden ascends to the presidency at a time when political division has threatened the nation’s democratic institutions and his predecessor has gone to extreme lengths to stay in power.

Pentagon and National Guard officials said on Tuesday that existing vetting procedures were sufficient to identify and weed out violators. “I don’t see any current change in policies,” General Hokanson said.

Lloyd J. Austin III, Mr. Biden’s pick for defense secretary, acknowledged during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday that extremists in the military were a problem and said their removal would be a priority if the Senate confirmed him. “The job of the Department of Defense is to keep America safe from our enemies,” he said. “But we can’t do that if some of those enemies lie within our own ranks.”

General Austin added later, “We can do a better job of screening the folks we bring in.”

The F.B.I. investigation into the Capitol rampage, still in its very early stages, has identified at least six suspects with military links out of the more than 100 people who have been taken into federal custody or the larger number still under investigation. They include a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel from Texas, an Army officer from North Carolina and an Army reservist from New Jersey. Another person who served in the military was shot and killed in the assault.

The military’s examination of its ranks is a turning point for the Pentagon, which has a history of downplaying the rise of white nationalism and right-wing activism, even as Germany and other countries are finding a deep strain embedded in their armed forces.

Federal officials are vetting thousands of National Guard members arriving to help secure the inauguration. Of the 25,000 Guard personnel who are in Washington, any who will be near Mr. Biden or Ms. Harris will receive additional background checks, a standard procedure to counter insider threats that was also taken before Mr. Trump’s inauguration in 2017.

In addition to the National Guard members, the Pentagon plans to deploy about 2,750 active-duty personnel in support of the event. About 2,000 of them will perform ceremonial duties in military bands, color guards and a salute-gun battery, and serve as sentries and ushers.

The remaining 750 are members assigned to specialized units dealing with chemical, biological, nuclear or radiological threats; bomb squad technicians; medical personnel (including those conducting coronavirus testing in support of the attending physician of Congress); and logistics and communications support personnel.

Coast Guard helicopters and vessels will be in the air and nearby waterways.

Air Force fighter jets stationed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland will be aloft over the region. The air space over the Capitol, the National Mall and the rest of the city will be even more restricted than usual, Pentagon officials said.

Jennifer Steinhauer contributed reporting.