Military leaders have ordered the National Guard in every state to develop a “quick reaction force” of troops trained to deal with civil disturbances and riots that can be ready to deploy with just hours’ notice, the latest indication of longer-term Trump administration plans to more readily dispatch soldiers to U.S. streets.
A set of memos circulated this month directs Guard units in all 50 states and U.S. territories, except for the District of Columbia, to train a contingent of soldiers in a specialized course that includes the proper use of batons, body shields, stun guns and pepper spray.
Signed by Major Gen. Ronald Burkett, operations director for the National Guard, the memos reviewed by The Associated Press give various numbers for each state’s force — often 500 each — that total

 Military Times
 Military Times

 ABC11 WTVD Politics
 ABC11 WTVD Politics Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Chicago Tribune Politics
 Chicago Tribune Politics America News
 America News NewsNation Health
 NewsNation Health Local News in D.C.
 Local News in D.C. Raw Story
 Raw Story FOX 28
 FOX 28 Reuters US Politics
 Reuters US Politics Local News in Massachusetts
 Local News in Massachusetts