Scores of National Guard members were let back into the U.S. Capitol on Thursday night after being forced out of a Capitol cafeteria resting area and into a parking garage nearby, according to multiple reports.
Another report said they all had motels, but the motels were not close and wasn’t like they could pop over for a rest.
I know this was a last minute pulled together thing, but this seems a little outrageous to do to anyone.
Last I heard they were bringing in cots, so this is unfortunate. When people are literally protecting your life you might want to show some gratitude.
Jiminy Cricket, folks- if you think setting up a bivy in a dry, solid structure is some sort of hardship, the tales of my own life as a Soldier are going to absolutely appall you.
The decision was apparently made by the Capitol Police, but I’m sure the memes of Pelosi booting out the NG will be all over facecrook by noon.
They’re treated like “essential” employees.
I know what you’re saying is true. But, this is not Afghanistan or Viet Nam, this was DC, nation’s capitol. No protocol for avoiding Covid, this is a different situation.
It’s not like the Capitol is a tiny building or anything…
This isn’t a forward base type of situation and the real issue was lack of heat, clean air and toilets, for which they were not equipped. You can’t “go native” in a parking garage and normally troops have tents, pads and sleeping bags when in the field.
FFS.
Put a cot in the office of every Republican House member.
Those sh^ts are the main reason for the need to have the NG there in the first place.
I’m sure there are many factors to consider and I understand your point.
Thanks, and I could not have gone through what so many have in war situations including my nephew that came close to being killed. If you haven’t had that experience there’s no way one can remotely understand what people go through.
Who exactly controls the Capitol Police?
Who is the “buck stops here” person?
This seriously can’t be like J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI where it could behave quasi-autonomously and even Presidents handled carefully … can it?
It’s just the perceived lack of consideration. It evidently wasn’t necessary.
Yes, I am somewhat aware of what occurs when deployed to the field. And these kinds of considerations are what S4 does.
This situation really makes very little sense. The areas normally reserved for the public are available. Give them Statuary Hall, the Visitors Center, and whatever else in between that is not used by Congress.
I hear you.
The problem here was the optics. And perhaps a couple of Guards(wo)men who had either no really frontline combat experience and/or had gotten soft in the meantime. (Or perhaps tended toward being Trumpsters themselves and thought a bit of moaning would be somehow a little revenge??)
(I do think, however, that with a little thought and a little sensitivity to the politics at the moment, someone could have come up with a better idea… Certainly was an error on multiple levels and undid all of the other good that had one on here in the past two weeks.)
And this particular deployment was insufficiently provisioned, which needs to be rectified.
[1] “As Congress is in session and increased foot traffic and business is being conducted, U.S. Capitol Police asked the troops to move their rest area outside of the Capitol,” Nieves said. [2] “They were temporarily relocated to the Thurgood Marshall Judicial Center garage with heat and restroom facilities.”
True.
True but misleading. I know that garage quite well. There is indeed a restroom there but it’s small and can only be used by two or three people at a time. Here we had hundreds.
I’m glad the Guard has been let back into the Visitors Center.
I want to know who in the Capitol police made this blooper. – and whether that person(s) had any role in leaving the Capitol inadequately defended.