Photo By Master Sgt. Andrew Jackson | U.S. Army Soldiers with the Hawaii National Guard liaise with Virginia State Police to...... read more read more
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Hawaii National Guard Soldiers deployed to Washington, D.C. in mid January, 2021, to provide support to federal and district authorities leading up to the 59th Presidential Inauguration. Their mission was to provide additional security on the four bridges that lead from the Virginia side of the Potomac River into Washington, D.C. The approximately 200 Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 487th Field Artillery and the 29th Brigade Engineering Battalion all responded to the call-up quickly, and in less than 48-hours, were at the National Capital Region. They worked with the New Jersey Army National Guard as both were assigned to the task force called “Team Bridges.”
“The Hawaii National Guard sent about 200 Soldiers and one Airman here to support the inauguration for the 46th President,” said Lt. Col. David Hatcher. “We were tasked with the mission to support the Virginia State Police and their road closures and traffic management. We were also asked to supply a ready reaction team. We were eager to get out there and do our job. It was a long trip and quick turn-around, but, we remained resilient and motivated.”
The bridge security mission required coordination and communication with the different district law enforcement agencies that manage each of the bridges. Each bridge starts in a different Virginia municipality on one side of the Potomac, but becomes Washington D.C. jurisdiction as soon you are over the water. This required the Hawaii National Guard (HING) Soldiers to be deputized by two different agencies to avoid any jurisdictional complications. Unlike the active duty military, National Guard personnel are allowed to conduct law enforcement duties as long as they are on Title 32 status. Under Title 32 status the service members remain under state control and are paid for by federal dollars.
“The professionals from the Virginia State Police were outstanding Americans,” said Hatcher. “They were some of the first responders to assist capitol police on Jan. 6, 2021. Their experience with that adds to the value of our partnership. They have been easy to work with and quick to give us everything we needed complete the mission.”
The complexities of controlling the traffic flow into the Capital Region was a challenge. . The Virginia State Police coordinated the efforts with the different agencies that control each end of the bridges. The U.S. Secret Service, lead planner for the bridge mission, wished that they could have started planning this in June.
“It is a great honor to be a part of this moment of history and we are proud to be a part of it. ” said Staff Sgt. Atui Valu of the Hawaii National Guard. “We are here to support a peaceful transfer of power.”
Early morning on the eve of the 59th Inauguration, the Hawaii National Guard (HING) Soldiers rolled out to take their positions on the four bridges as a second line of defense behind the Virginia State Police. A rapid response team was composed of HING Soldiers and Washington Air National Guard Security Forces Airmen from the 141st Security Forces Squadron, 116th Air Support Operations Squadron, and the 194th Security Forces Flight also stood at the ready. They spent the next 48 hours rotating through 12-hour shifts and held positions on each of the bridges in Washington D.C. Being near the water was a source of comfort for the Hawaii residents, but on this mission, the air was cold and crisp.
“It is pretty cold here but everybody has a whole lot of Aloha in their spirits right now to keep them warm. We take care of each other,” remarked Valu. “We had a few people get kind of angry but when they realized we are here to help. They came back to thank us.”
In the end, the presence of the National Guard ensured the 59th Presidential Inauguration was without incident.
Reviewed/Edited @1337 21JAN SEM
| Date Taken: | 01.21.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 01.21.2021 15:00 |
| Story ID: | 387321 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 152 |
| Downloads: | 4 |
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