Photo By Senior Airman Coda Doyle | 1st Lt. John McGlothlin, an Army attorney with the District of Columbia National...... read more read more
Since May 30, D.C. National Guardsmen have been charged with protecting district metro stations and local businesses near protests in response to the death of George Floyd.
As the demonstrations continue, D.C. National Guard has seen its mission evolve.
The uniqueness of the mission of D.C. Guardsmen is that as citizen-soldiers and airmen, their immediate mission is within their communities. One such citizen-soldier is 1st Lt. John McGlothlin, an Army attorney with the National Guard legal support office, District of Columbia Army National Guard.
“I live about a 15-minute walk from here,” said McGlothlin. “It’s hard for people to get out there and express themselves if they’re worried about something bad happening – something being lit on fire or something being broken. There are a lot of people who want to come out and protest, and they’re a little unsure about whether it’s a safe thing to do. We’re trying to make sure that they feel safe enough to come out here and express their opinions.”
Soldiers and airmen who were once armed with riot gear and weapons are now in a plain uniform with medical kits, ready to respond to medical emergencies, as was the case when a runner passed out near the Lincoln Memorial June 4, 2020. They also carry radios to make contact with local authorities should any instances of violence take place.
Guardsmen were also charged with patrolling downtown areas and alerting local authorities to any violence, property destruction or looting. The idea is to identify and end these activities early on to not detract from individuals who are peacefully demonstrating.
As demonstrators marched down what would be heavily trafficked streets, Guardsmen coordinated efforts to block off intersections with Army trucks so that demonstrators could walk freely until their demonstration cleared.
As the mission is being handed off to other state National Guard units, the theme of the mission is also being passed along.
Pfc. Zachary Pankow, an infantryman with B Company, 1-293rd Infantry Company, 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Indiana National Guard, understands his mission to support the community of people who’ve decided to exercise their First Amendment rights.
“Our mission is to block off traffic,” said Pankow. “We allow cars that need to get through for work to get through, but other than that, we keep cars off the streets near where people are going to be protesting, so the protestors don’t have to worry about cars. There will be a lot of protestors out here tonight, and cars can be a real danger to the people protesting.”
However, the National Guard’s presence has not always been welcomed during this mission.
“Mostly, everyone here is nice and understands why we’re here,” said Pankow. “But there are some people who yell obscenities. The people who are yelling obscenities - you’ve got to take it like they’re not yelling at you. They’re yelling at the government as a whole, and we represent the government, so I just let it fly over and not impact my mission.”
Pankow also referenced the many windows of local businesses that were boarded up and said that his mission was to make sure no one had to fear any of the activity that caused businesses to board up their establishments.
McGlothlin and Pankow both supported traffic control points within the Gallery Place Chinatown area of downtown D.C. They both stated their presence was generally well-received by the public and had no incidences during their shifts.
“We want everyone to know that we’re not out here because of any feelings about the protest,” McGlothlin said. “Our role is to keep people safe. The goal is for people to express themselves and their First Amendment rights.”
| Date Taken: | 06.07.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 06.08.2020 17:54 |
| Story ID: | 371710 |
| Location: | DC, US |
| Web Views: | 46 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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