WASHINGTON – Hawaii National Guard Soldiers deployed to the nation's capital for the presidential inauguration helped provide security on the four bridges leading from the Virginia side of the Potomac River into Washington.
The approximately 200 Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 487th Field Artillery and the 29th Brigade Engineering Battalion responded to the call-up quickly, arriving in the National Capital Region in less than 48 hours. They worked with the New Jersey Army National Guard, assigned to the "Team Bridges" task force.
“The Hawaii National Guard sent about 200 Soldiers and one Airman here to support the inauguration for the 46th president,” said Lt. Col. David Hatcher. “We were tasked with the mission to support the Virginia State Police and their road closures and traffic management. We were also asked to supply a ready reaction team. We were eager to get out there and do our job. It was a long trip and quick turnaround, but we remained resilient and motivated.”
The bridge security mission required coordination and communication with different law enforcement agencies that manage each of the bridges. Each bridge starts in a different Virginia municipality on one side of the Potomac but becomes Washington jurisdiction as soon you are over the water. This required the HING Soldiers to be deputized by two agencies to avoid any jurisdictional complications. Unlike the active-duty military, National Guard personnel are allowed to conduct law enforcement duties as long as they are on Title 32 status. Under Title 32 status, they remain under state control and are paid for with federal funds.
“The professionals from the Virginia State Police were outstanding Americans,” said Hatcher. “They were some of the first responders to assist Capitol Police on Jan. 6, 2021 (when the Capitol was overrun by rioters). Their experience with that adds to the value of our partnership. They have been easy to work with and quick to give us everything we needed to complete the mission.”
Controlling the traffic flow into Washington was a challenge. The Virginia State Police coordinated with the different agencies that control each end of the bridges.
“It is a great honor to be a part of this moment of history and we are proud to be a part of it,” said Staff Sgt. Atui Valu of the Hawaii National Guard. “We are here to support a peaceful transfer of power.”
Early on the day before the inauguration, HING Soldiers took their positions on the four bridges as a second line of defense behind the Virginia State Police. A rapid response team was composed of HING Soldiers and Washington Air National Guard Security Forces Airmen from the 141st Security Forces Squadron, 116th Air Support Operations Squadron. The 194th Security Forces Flight also stood at the ready. They spent the next 48 hours rotating through 12-hour shifts. Being near the water was a source of comfort for the Hawaii residents, but it was cold.
“It is pretty cold here, but everybody has a whole lot of Aloha in their spirits right now to keep them warm. We take care of each other,” said Valu. “We had a few people get kind of angry, but when they realized we are here to help they came back to thank us.”