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Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Prank calls, harassment, and doxxing fears drove the Marine unit sent to LA to pull down its website
Marines took down their website to avoid harassment amid LA deployment backlash. The unit was deployed to support law enforcement during immigration protests in Los Angeles. Military trust is waning, highlighting a civil-military divide and potential misunderstandings. The Marine Corps unit sent to Los Angeles amid local unrest and anti-ICE protests opted to take down its website to shield its members from being bombarded by angry calls, targeted by prank callers, harassment, and doxxing. The Secretary of Defense tasked the unit, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, also known as "2/7," days ago to deploy to LA in response to the protests and in support of federal law enforcement. Around 2,000 US Army National Guard soldiers were tasked to the city prior to the announcement that roughly 700 Marines would be heading that way. The Marines haven't yet been put to work for the US Northern Command-led mission known as Task Force 51, NORTHCOM spokesperson Capt. Mayrem Morales told Business Insider, adding that they've spent recent days receiving training for crowd control and de-escalation— missions for which Marines are not typically trained. The order has put the Marines in the middle of national political divisions, with some Americans upset enough to spam government phone numbers. "We received initial reporting from the unit that there were prank calls to all the numbers listed on the website for the Command Duty Officer and other numbers listed on the website," 1st Marine Division spokesman Lt. Col. Lucas Burke wrote in an email to Business Insider. A "command duty officer" is a service member appointed to stand watch over a unit for a 24-hour period. Such postings are routine for leaders and can quickly become critical. The phone line is often the first to receive urgent news regarding unit member emergencies, meaning that prank calls to such numbers could stop information from reaching those in charge. Concerns extended to Marines' families, contributing to the decision to remove the website. "Once the mission is complete and the Marines safely return home, we will immediately restore the website," he said. "This was done trying to protect members of the unit from being doxxed or harassed," Burke said on a phone call, explaining that the website's removal was only temporary and done out of safety concerns. Such unease is uncommon for active-duty units, often too busy with training to rile up such sentiments. The military has enjoyed high public trust for decades, though research indicates such trust has waned in recent years, becoming increasingly fragile. Outsiders harassing military personnel could be symptomatic of the growing civil-military divide, the growing chasm between those who serve and those who don't. Members of the armed forces are often, though not always, confined to remote bases like Twentynine Palms, California, over two hours east of Los Angeles. Military recruitment continues to rely heavily on families who already have histories of service, and the US veteran population is on the decline. Many Americans may only see uniformed service members at airports, fostering fundamental misunderstandings about the people who serve and who is calling the shots. Protestors met Marines departing their base and arriving at Los Angeles, despite the Marine leaders having little choice in the matter. Missions, normally coordinated with state and local leaders, originate from much higher levels — in this case, from the Secretary of Defense. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
Prank calls, harassment, and doxxing fears drove the Marine unit sent to LA to pull down its website
The Marine Corps unit sent to Los Angeles amid local unrest and anti-ICE protests opted to take down its website to shield its members from being bombarded by angry calls, targeted by prank callers, harassment, and doxxing. The Secretary of Defense tasked the unit, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, also known as "2/7," days ago to deploy to LA in response to the protests and in support of federal law enforcement. Around 2,000 US Army National Guard soldiers were tasked to the city prior to the announcement that roughly 700 Marines would be heading that way. The Marines haven't yet been put to work for the US Northern Command-led mission known as Task Force 51, NORTHCOM spokesperson Capt. Mayrem Morales told Business Insider, adding that they've spent recent days receiving training for crowd control and de-escalation— missions for which Marines are not typically trained. Putting the Marines in a tough spot The order has put the Marines in the middle of national political divisions, with some Americans upset enough to spam government phone numbers. "We received initial reporting from the unit that there were prank calls to all the numbers listed on the website for the Command Duty Officer and other numbers listed on the website," 1st Marine Division spokesman Lt. Col. Lucas Burke wrote in an email to Business Insider. A "command duty officer" is a service member appointed to stand watch over a unit for a 24-hour period. Such postings are routine for leaders and can quickly become critical. The phone line is often the first to receive urgent news regarding unit member emergencies, meaning that prank calls to such numbers could stop information from reaching those in charge. Concerns extended to Marines' families, contributing to the decision to remove the website. "Once the mission is complete and the Marines safely return home, we will immediately restore the website," he said. "This was done trying to protect members of the unit from being doxxed or harassed," Burke said on a phone call, explaining that the website's removal was only temporary and done out of safety concerns. The growing civil-military divide Such unease is uncommon for active-duty units, often too busy with training to rile up such sentiments. The military has enjoyed high public trust for decades, though research indicates such trust has waned in recent years, becoming increasingly fragile. Outsiders harassing military personnel could be symptomatic of the growing civil-military divide, the growing chasm between those who serve and those who don't. Members of the armed forces are often, though not always, confined to remote bases like Twentynine Palms, California, over two hours east of Los Angeles. Military recruitment continues to rely heavily on families who already have histories of service, and the US veteran population is on the decline. Many Americans may only see uniformed service members at airports, fostering fundamental misunderstandings about the people who serve and who is calling the shots. Protestors met Marines departing their base and arriving at Los Angeles, despite the Marine leaders having little choice in the matter. Missions, normally coordinated with state and local leaders, originate from much higher levels — in this case, from the Secretary of Defense.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
What Marines deploying to LA amid protests legally can, and cannot, do
Roughly 700 Marines have been ordered to deploy to Los Angeles to protect federal buildings and officials amid mounting immigration protests there, U.S. Northern Command, or NORTHCOM, announced on Monday. 'DoD military personnel on this mission are protecting property and personnel,' Air Force Capt. Mayrem Morales, a NORTHCOM spokesperson, told Task & Purpose. 'They are providing support to prevent the destruction or defacement of federal government property, including crowd control and establishment of security perimeters. These personnel are also protecting federal officials from harm or threat of bodily injury while those officials execute their duties.' The Marines are assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, which is based at Twentynine Palms, California, the Marine Corps' premier site for combat training. The battalion's mission includes preparing to take part in Unit Deployment Program rotations to the Western Pacific, according to the battalion's website. President Donald Trump has already federalized 2,100 members of the California National Guard in response to the protests, which began on June 6 following raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Los Angeles. The situation escalated on Sunday when thousands of protesters took to the streets. That same day, NORTHCOM announced that the Marines had been notified to prepare to deploy to Los Angeles in case they were needed. When asked why 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines would take part in the U.S. military's response to the Los Angeles protests and what capabilities it could bring to the mission, Marine Corps officials referred questions to NORTHCOM, which referred Task & Purpose back to the Marines. No information was immediately available about whether the battalion had conducted law enforcement training in the past two years. Generally speaking, Marine infantry units focus on lethal force as opposed to less-than-lethal force, so they are typically not trained or equipped to deal with civil disturbances, said retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, who led military relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. 'In this particular mission, they could supplement the Guard or work with them in the mission of protecting federal property and people,' Honoré told Task & Purpose on Monday. 'Just like we protect federal installations, we've got the authority to protect federal buildings and federal property. All of our installations are generally protected by soldiers either in the Military Police or shore patrol, and this is an extension of that.' Honoré also noted that because Trump has federalized the National Guard, those troops are not able to conduct law enforcement missions unless the president invokes the Insurrection Act, which allows federal troops to be deployed under certain circumstances, such as in response to a natural disaster or terrorist attack. Normally, National Guard troops are activated by authorities within their home state to conduct disaster relief or law enforcement missions when their governors deem it necessary, said retired Air Force Lt. Col. Rachel VanLandingham, a former military attorney. The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 prohibits federal U.S. troops — including federalized National Guardsmen — from performing law enforcement duties on American soil, unless the president invokes the Insurrection Act, said VanLandingham, a law professor at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. In this case, Trump has not invoked the Insurrection Act, and he has only directed the federalized National Guard troops to protect federal personnel and buildings, said VanLandingham, who teaches national security law and constitutional criminal procedure. The troops have not been authorized or directed to conduct arrests, searches, or seizures, which are classic law enforcement activities, she said. VanLandingham also questioned the usefulness of deploying Marines to protect federal buildings, particularly since California's governor has not requested federal support, and he could have deployed his state's National Guard to do so. 'That would be an extraordinary use of active-duty troops that has never been used before outside of Insurrection Act invocation,' VanLandingham. The last time a president invoked the Insurrection Act was in 1992, when President George H. W. Bush federalized the National Guard and activated soldiers with the 7th Infantry Division and Marines from the 1st Marine Division to respond to riots in Los Angeles following the acquittal of four police officers accused of beating motorist Rodney King. About 1,500 Marines from Camp Pendleton, California, were deployed to Los Angeles in 1992, and they were issued riot gear and given refresher training prior to their mission, retired Army Maj. Gen. James Delk, who oversaw the California National Guard's response to the riots, wrote in a 1995 Army case study of the riots. However, communications proved to be a challenge at times because Marines, soldiers, and police all use different terminologies, Delk wrote. In one incident, a squad of Marines accompanied police to a home in response to a domestic dispute. One of the police officers was hit when someone inside opened fire. 'His partner grabbed him and as he pulled him back he hollered to the Marines 'Cover me!'' Delk wrote. 'Now to a cop, that was very simple command. That means aim your rifle and use it if necessary. To a Marine, and there were some well-trained young patriots in that squad, it meant something entirely different. They instantly opened up. A mom, a dad, and three children occupied that house.' Police later found more than 200 bullet holes in the home, but thankfully no one inside was hit, Delk wrote. 'The point is, those great young Marines did exactly what they're trained to do, but not what the police thought they requested,' Delk wrote. 'You need to understand the differences in language.' When asked what steps NORTHCOM is taking to prevent similar misunderstandings from occurring during the current military response in Los Angeles, a command spokesperson said service members are trained to deescalate situations and always retain the right of self-defense to a 'hostile act or demonstrated hostile intent.' 'The safety and security of the men and women performing their duties is paramount,' the spokesperson said. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. A Marine Corps reply-all email apocalypse has an incredible real-life ending Army shuts down its sole active-duty information operations command Army plans to close more than 20 base museums in major reduction Former Green Beret nominated to top Pentagon position to oversee special ops The Navy's new recruiting commercial puts the 'dirt wars' in the past
