Who would control the military's response if the coronavirus pandemic causes civil unrest? Arkansas National Guard and Arkansas State Police members participate in a training exercise as part of Operation Phalanx, held at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, March 30-31, 2019. The joint exercise specially trained service members on techniques used in responding to a civil disturbance. U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Matlock
Newsweek: Inside the U.S. Military's Plans to Stop 'Civil Disturbances' Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, Something They Haven't Done in 30 Years
With the National Guard now active in 22 states and governors continuing to declare more severe emergency measures daily, the U.S. military is preparing forces to assume a larger role in the coronavirus response, including the controversial mission of quelling "civil disturbances" and enforcing the law, a mission that the military has not engaged in for almost 30 years.
Within military circles, opinion is split over whether federal forces should muscle their way in to do more. State governors and their respective National Guard units, not the federal government and the active duty military, are primarily responsible for handling domestic emergencies: that's the law and it's also common sense, since local officials are always closer to a crisis and generally more familiar with the people affected.
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WNU Editor: There are going to be no mass civil disturbances with a pandemic raging outside. It is when the pandemic has passed that I can easily see protests and civil disturbances becoming the norm as economic hardships hits millions.
