Latest news with #VanLandingham
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Marines tasked with LA mission have not yet completed use of force and nonlethal training
The roughly 700 Marines recently ordered to deploy to Los Angeles have not yet completed training on less-than-lethal weapons and training on the Standing Rules for Use of Force, which governs the use of force for military personnel within the United States, said a spokesperson for U.S. Northern Command, or NORTHCOM. It is not yet clear when the Marines will complete the training, or when they will join NORTHCOM's Task Force 51, which is overseeing U.S. troops responding to the ongoing immigration protests in Los Angeles, the spokesperson said. When U.S. troops operate domestically, they are bound by the Standing Rules for the Use of Force — which are more restrictive than wartime rules of engagement — and they must follow the same law and rules under the 4th Amendment as police, said retired Air Force Lt. Col. Rachel VanLandingham, a former military attorney. NORTHCOM announced on Sunday that the Marines with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines based at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, had been told to be ready to deploy to Los Angeles to supplement National Guardsmen responding to immigration protests there. The Marines began receiving Standing Rules for Use of Force training from an operational law attorney with I Marine Expeditionary Force before deploying to Los Angeles, a Marine Corps official told Task & Purpose. Since the immigration protests began on June 7, President Donald Trump has federalized about 4,000 members of the National Guard to protect federal personnel and buildings. The Marines were ordered to deploy to Los Angeles on Monday. Typically, states activate their National Guard troops to conduct disaster relief or law enforcement missions when their governors deem it necessary, VanLandingham told Task & Purpose for a previous story. The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 prohibits federal U.S. troops from enforcing U.S. laws on American soil unless the president invokes the Insurrection Act. Trump has not invoked the Insurrection Act, and he has only directed the federalized National Guard troops to protect federal personnel and buildings, VanLandingham said. Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot, head of NORTHCOM, recently told the Los Angeles Times that the Marines do not have the authority to arrest people. 'They are not law enforcement officers, and they do not have the authority to make arrests,' Guillot told the newspaper. 'There are very unique situations where they could detain someone if detaining was necessary to defend, but they could only detain that person long enough to hand it off to a proper law enforcement official.' 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
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US military troops come in active-duty, Guard, and reserve forces. Here's what each one does.
The National Guard, rooted in colonial militias, serves state needs under governors. Active-duty and reserve forces operate under federal command. Sometimes the National Guard can too. Different laws govern when a president "federalize" the Guard, with special circumstances. The US military fights wars abroad, but it also keeps busy back home. There are different types of forces, though, and rules on what they can and can't do on domestic soil can be confusing. The past few months alone have seen a lot of activity. Active-duty troops are transporting migrants as part of new White House deportation measures, with others deployed to the US-Mexico border. Their counterparts in the National Guard are also active at the border. Other Guard units have helped battle wildfires and assisted with hurricane recovery. The National Guard traces its roots all the way back to colonial America. "The best way to think of the Guard is as a classic citizen-soldier," Rachel VanLandingham, a national security expert and professor at Southwestern Law School, said. Those state militias have transformed over 250 years into individual state National Guards, with around 430,000 members collectively across the nation. The Guard is made up of regular community members such as teachers, bankers, social workers, and so on who can be called up to respond to emergencies at the discretion of their state governors. "When there's a need, they're gonna put on a uniform," VanLandingham said. "But they specifically belong to the state." There are generally two categories of people who join the National Guard, said Katherine Kuzminski, who oversees the Center for a New American Security's military, veterans, and society program. Most National Guard troops are either pursuing a civilian career but still want to serve or were once on active duty but are now part-timers. Like the reserves and active forces, National Guard troops go through basic training with follow-on specialized job training. They hold specific military jobs, which can include anything from truck mechanic or pilot to infantryman or admin specialist. Because active troops are assigned to military bases that are usually far removed from heavily populated areas, leading to less overlap with civilians, most Americans rarely engage with active troops, and are more likely to know someone who's in the Guard or the Reserve. Similar to the Guard, reserve forces are the part time equivalent of the active-duty force. Many reservists are also former full-time troops who were once on active duty. Reservists frequently belong to units based outside their home states, meaning they might travel monthly to "drill," performing routine duties to stay fresh in uniform. Both Guard troops and reservists are usually obligated to serve one weekend a month in uniform and then at least two consecutive weeks yearly to maintain military skillsets. Active-duty service members enlist for a specific number of years, with options to extend. They live on or near the military base to which they are assigned. Most active service members work normal workdays but are expected to undergo long training exercises, perform overnight duties, and are often on call 24/7. The most important differences between Guard, reserve, and active-duty forces are in their chains of command and legal authorities. First, the chain of command for all reservists and active troops is entirely through the Department of Defense, up to the service secretaries and the president. States have no control over reserve forces. Each of the armed services under the Department of Defense has its own reserve component, but only the Army and Air Force have National Guards. States have not historically needed naval forces, Kuzminski said, so the Department of the Navy (which includes the Marine Corps) doesn't have a National Guard component. Right now, there isn't a Space Force National Guard either. Reservists also have the option to "activate," which means that they can become active duty for a set period of time, either deploying abroad or reporting daily to a base stateside for set periods of time. "Activating" can be a popular choice for reservists seeking stability amid economic uncertainty in their civilian work or who are simply eager to deploy and serve. National Guard control is different and a little confusing. Most of the time, the National Guard operates under the purview of their state's governor, VanLandingham said. When called by the governor, Guard troops most often are responding to natural disasters or emergencies, like those in North Carolina who responded to Hurricane Helene last year or those in California who activated in response to the recent fires. National Guard troops were also deployed to the Capitol on January 6, 2021, amid riotous efforts to contest the election. "Guardsmen belong to a service, but their chain of command goes to their governor," Kuzminski said. A president or governor can request to "federalize" their guard troops, putting them on loan to the nation. When the Guard is federalized, those troops swap to operate under different laws that govern the rest of the DoD, known as Title 10. Federalized Guard troops were vital for the Global War on Terror, said Kuzminski. Hundreds of thousands deployed over the years. But federal adherence to the legalese that governs Guard operations has made headlines in recent years. During President Donald Trump's first term, he brought in unfederalized, out-of-state Guard troops to Washington, DC, a non-state jurisdiction, to quell protests. Some experts said the move jeopardized laws preventing the unconstitutional use of troops at home. Governors can activate their National Guard troops to serve in certain domestic law enforcement roles at home, but all of the key constitutional guarantees still matter, VanLandingham said. "It's not like different rules apply." The Posse Comitatus Act bars federal troops from participating in this role though. To circumvent Posse Comitatus, presidents can lean on the Insurrection Act. Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of using the military at home more recently, leading some legal experts to say the Insurrection Act is overdue for reform. Read the original article on Business Insider
