Breaking|33,773 views|Jun 11, 2020,05:24pm EDT
U.S. Army Ceremonial Unit Given Bayonets In Case Dispatched To Protests In D.C.
Alexandra Sternlicht
Soldiers from the Old Guard, a ceremonial army unit based outside of Washington, D.C., were issued bayonets, scabbards and live ammunition in preparation to be deployed to police protests in the capital, according to a letter from Pentagon leaders obtained by Bloomberg.
KEY FACTS
The Old Guard is the oldest active-duty infantry regiment in the Army and mostly performs ceremonial duties, including escorting the president, but its mission also includes providing security for Washington, D.C., in times of national emergency or civil disturbances.
Up to 800 members of the unit were on alert to be deployed to the Washington D.C. protests last weekend, as stated in the letter to the House Armed Services Committee picked up by Bloomberg.
Soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division were also on standby, and were also reportedly issued fixed bayonets.
The U.S. Marines still train to use bayonets, but the U.S. Army took it out of its basic training regimen in 2010.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandrasternlicht/2020/06/11/us-army-unit-given-bayonets-in-case-dispatched-to-protests-in-dc/#1544f9c73e8d
