Participants:
Col. John Paul Laurenceau, Chief of Future Operations, National Guard Bureau
Mr. Ellis Hopkins, Deputy Chief for Current Operations, National Guard Bureau
Host: Mr. Robert Carver, National Guard Bureau Public Affairs
NOTE: This media roundtable (MRT) was initially off-the-record, but it has since been approved for use on-the-record.
STAFF: This is Robert Carver from NGB Public Affairs. Thanks for joining us. So, we've had quite a few calls asking about the Guard’s role in election support at both the state and the national level. And so, our aim today is to try to help you better understand how this works. There are 49 of you signed up today. It's very popular subject, and so although we don't have 49 in the room at the moment, and we'll try to get to as many people as we possibly can. So apologies for folks that we don't get to, and we'll certainly take questions to answer after the fact, we've dropped an infographic in the chat that has information on guard duty statuses that may help you out a little bit. One thing that we definitely want to make clear is that the Guard’s role in domestic operations is always one of support so civilian authorities. So, I think most of you already know that, but in case there was, there's a question. So, the Guard is never the lead when it comes to domestic operations. So, this session is off the record, but we certainly will allow you to negotiate quotes for on the record or on background, as you may want to use in your reporting. Just send us an email to our workflow with anything that you want to get cleared. We're recording this session for our purposes. It won't be posted. We're just going to have an internal transcript, so we've got 30 minutes or so, so, we can deconflict with a 2:30 presser that OSD (Office of the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs) is holding, and we'll take as many questions as we can before that time runs out. All right. With us today is Chief of Future Operations, Colonel Laurenceau and Mr. Ellis Hopkins, the deputy Division Chief for current operations. And we'll put their names in the chat as well, so you can, you can get them all right. And with that, let's, go over to Dan Lamothe from Washington Post.
DAN LAMOTHE, WASHINGTON POST: Could you just walk us through any guidance you've issued, be to the states, be it to the district, just in terms of how you're communicating what the role might be, what the limitations of the role might be, and any asks that you've you've received either for information or for for actual forces at this point.
MR. ELLIS HOPKINS, NGB DEPUTY DIVISON CHIEF FOR CURRENT OPERATIONS: The guidance that that we've issued is to be in support of state activities as these Guardsmen are called into state active duty, where we're not a command, where we issue command guidance or mission specific guidance. So, these Guardsmen are activated under State Authority in support of state and adjutant general missions and direction.
COL. JEAN-PAUL LAURENCEAU, NGB CHIEF OF FUTURE OPERATIONS: My name is Colonel Laurenceau, Future Division Ops Chief, and I've been working on the planning side with directly with the D.C. National Guard. And at (inaudible) NGB’s level, we're here to support D.C. with sustainment, lodging, transportation, anything they need to prepare for this mission. Now, D.C. themselves have put a request out to the states for support, and currently we're collecting numbers from states who are committed to support so many, with so many, so many amount of soldiers, and now we're just in planning phase, but all the conversations are happening directly with D.C., and National Guard Bureau is just truly a resource for D.C. to ensure they have everything they need to be successful in supporting the president to presidential inauguration.
LAMOTHE: Are you tracking any numbers yet you can share be with the D.C. request or other states?
COL. LAURENCEAU: I'll say I cannot share the exact number, but I'll tell you, it's over two dozen states that have signed up and prepared to support the DC mission.
LITA BALDOR, ASSOCIATED PRESS: No question.
STAFF: Let's go to Nathan Layne at Reuters. In lieu of Nathan – Idrees, are you on?
IDREES ALI, REUTERS: Yeah, I am. Just a quick question. Could you just talk broadly and maybe specifically to D.C. about how your preparations are different this year compared to 2016 and 2020 or is it all pretty much similar in terms of preparation and requests that you've received?
LAURENCEAU: If I'm honest with you, if I'm honest with you, this is my first time working at the NGB staff level in past years. I'm a Georgia Guardsmen, so I've supported from that aspect, but I'll tell you, looking at the planning this year versus what we've done four years ago, eight years ago, it's been the same process, the same thinking, the same, yeah. It's been the same process and understanding the Guard’s role and how they're going to support the mission. And part of that mission is really supporting the local, the local police and our law enforcement partners, and so it's just understanding how we fit and where their needs are, and where the D.C. National Guard is going to augment and provide that support.
HOPKINS: No, just that the I guess the only thing I would add, sir, is that very often the Guard is in support of a lead federal agency, not just for election support or inauguration support, but for other domestic operations, and they take their purpose, direction, motivation, from the lead federal agency.
COURTNEY KUBE, NBC NEWS: I guess I'm confused here, because can you walk us through just what I not even if you can't provide specificity, what states you're aware of are using their National Guard, even on state active duty, presumably, but, but, I mean, I forgive me if I'm wrong about this, but I thought you guys kind of aggregated all that information and kept track of it. So, can you walk us through what states are now preparing to use their National Guard because they for the possibility of civil unrest on election day or even in the days after?
HOPKINS: Currently, there are 11 states (Editor’s Note: The number is actually 10 as one state was listed twice) that are supporting election activities. None of them are in a civil disturbance or civil response mode. They're in general support or in supporting cyber networks. So, but that number is currently 11 states as of today, with 10 states that are planning to conduct future operations. And today our number is just north of north of 100 guardsmen, Army and Air that are in support.
KUBE: What do you mean that 10 can plan, as you conduct future operations. What exactly does that mean?
HOPKINS: That just means that they are planning to activate tomorrow or later.
KUBE: So, it's 11 states that are supporting the election activities, plus an additional 10 planning to activate tomorrow or later.
HOPKINS: Yes, ma'am.
KUBE: Okay, great. Thank you. I appreciate that.
STAFF: Thanks, Courtney. Let's go to Nancy at the Wall Street Journal.
NANCY YOUSSEF, WALL STREET JOURNAL: Can I just follow up on that and ask that we get the list of those states and how many guardsmen in each of those states are being mobilized, and that we put that on the record, because I think that's a public interest, and something I'll be that many of us would be interested in putting out there.
CARVER: Yeah, let us clear that with the states, because the states, obviously are, they're going to be that's in their lane to talk about their particular missions. But yeah, we can do that. I think let us give me a little time to work that for you.
YOUSSEF: Yeah. I mean, I think it's just at the minimum the number of states involved in a number of troops, I think would be helpful to us. And is that different than the three that we've heard about, or Nevada, Oregon and Washington State? Or is that part of that list just, just so I understand when we're talking about the 11 and the 10, where the three people you've heard about fit in.
HOPKINS: Those three states are included in those numbers, ma'am.
LEO SHANE, MILITARY TIMES: Hi. Thanks for doing this. Can you just go into a little bit more detail about what that I think you said they're involved in some cyber activities, and what are they mobilized for at this point?
HOPKINS: Okay, so I would just, I would just respectfully caution that don't use the word mobilize. They're activated no, no problem. It's common. So, they're activated under state authority. And as far as cyber that, you know that that kind of vocabulary kind of exceeds my expertise, so I believe the general term is computer network defense. So, they're, they're defending the networks.
SHANE: And what I mean, can you give us any more specificity on what that can entail? Is that just monitoring, is that actively working with elections officials? What? What exactly is that?
HOPKINS: I can't give you more details on that, sir, I can't. It's just, it's, I don't have the technical vocabulary for it. But they are in support. They are important state, state officials.
CARVER: Hey, Leo, we can reach out to the states and then let you know which states are involved in that. And you can give them a call and ask them what the details of their mission are. Whatever they're willing to share is what what you can get from them. Let's go to Haley at CNN.
HALEY BRITSKY, CNN: Hi, thank you. I just wanted to double check, and I'm sorry. I feel like this has probably been asked, but the D.C. request for the D.C. Guard, there isn't an official request for assistance to them yet. Is there, or is are these the states preparing to help? Are just doing exactly that, preparing for that request to come in, or has there been an official ask? But are you talking? Yes, the states are just preparing.
LAURENCEAU: So, you are correct, there's not an official request for assistance from our local from our from our partners, what we're doing and we're just leaning forward in a pre-planning phase to be ready to support, because we do anticipate our RFA, but we do, we want to be prepared as we as we're ready to support the presidential inauguration as have as we've done in years past.
BRITSKY: Got it. Thank you. And then just one other thing, I think, following up on Dan's question earlier, I understand the guidance, as far as you know, supporting the mission and things like that. Obviously, there's been a lot of language used, or last several months about the use of the National Guard domestically. So, I think it's fair to expect that there will be, you know, the public will be paying a lot of attention to this and to where the National Guard is. I mean, are there? Is there any guidance coming out of NGB to the states as far as political left and right limits how to respond. And, you know, in a particularly tense environment, if there are protests, things like that. If there's guidance coming out from NGB, for how the states and how guardsmen, you know, in these environments should be just mindful of the way they're interacting with the public or political left and right limits, things like that.
LAURENCEAU: Yes, we, we do understand the optics behind this mission, and we do (inaudible) train our guardsmen on how to react, and how to even engage with journalists, and how to how to engage with their population, as they support the population and be able to exercise their First Amendment rights.
CARVER: Let's go to Liz at Fox, or Liz or Joe, I think they're both on whichever one of you wants to go.
LIZ FRIDEN, FOX NEWS: To clarify something from Courtney's questioning, you said north of 100 Guardsmen. What was that referring to?
LAURENCEAU: Ma’am, that means more than 100 guardsmen. But I wouldn't want to give a specific number.
FRIDEN: Is that like D.C.National Guard, or is that like a combination of of all the states?
HOPKINS: That's a combination of the 11 states that are currently conducting operations.
FRIDEN: Okay, okay, and then I just have a question for clarification. You mentioned the inauguration a few times. What is does that mean that all these National Guardsmen that have been activated that this is through the inauguration. Or, could you just clarify that?
LAURENCEAU: So, currently, we're talking about two different things. So what Mr. Hopkins is referring to, there are 11 states that are that are ready to support their state election process and whatever happens within their state, as for what I'm talking about for future plans. We do have states that have committed to come and so augment D.C. to support the president, presidential inauguration. Right now (inaudible) our planning has to do specifically with the with the presidential inauguration. So sometime mid-January through the end of January, we can expect to see this, the National Guard working with her, with the local law enforcement to to ensure security of the presidential inauguration.
ABC NEWS: He shouted from down the hallway that he does not have a question on his behalf.
CARVER: All right, I have either Patrick Tucker or Audrey Decker from defense one.
PATRICK TUCKER, DEFENSE ONE: I don't know, I guess. I'm not sure if Audrey is taking this for us, but I'll take it. Can you talk a little bit about last, last last time on January 6, there was some question about rules of engagement and whether they were appropriate, and also whether they were appropriate depending on the venue, because, of course, the Congress has different rules that govern the presence of federal officials on the ground of the Capitol versus the White House versus lands that are federal versus lands that are DC Metro. Can you talk a little bit about coordination with DHS and other bodies in terms of getting appropriate authorities to operate across several different potential jurisdictions, if you have to.
LAURENCEAU: Now, I'll tell you, that's one of the, one of the things we're working through now, and what's going to dictate all of that, no matter how important a process we're planning, what's going to dictate the what you referring to rules, the rules on the use of force is going to be that request for assistance. And so that's, that's the that's one of the final pieces that we need to work through. And as we work through it, we'll definitely want to be able to share that with you guys as much as we can share. But we have not gone through that planning process yet because the RFA has not the request for assistance has not been published yet, because that will dictate what we're able to do and what we're not able to do. That's how important that document is to us.
TUCKER: Understanding that it hasn't gone out yet, though you've been having some preliminary talks about it, maybe some tabletops like you have, once that goes out, you have, everyone has an understanding of correct rules of engagement, depending on venue. And then you just have to have, like, final discussions.
LAURENCEAU: Yeah, one of the things we will do is publish that rule on the use of force to all our soldiers, and that's one of the key training that they will go through as they make their way into DC. But the number one thing is that, you know, part, part of that rules on the use of force is that this is a civilian supported mission. And, so when you start talking about, you know, what you're able to do where so it comes to it really, is really is really very important to us that we understand that, and our soldiers understand that and adhere specifically to that.
JEFF SCHOGOL, TASK&PURPOSE: Thank you. Are any of the National Guardsmen being assigned with protecting areas in swing states where they count the ballots.
HOPKINS: I'm not aware, I'm not aware that they're specifically there for that mission, sir.
SCHOGOL: And I just wanted to clarify so 11 states with a total of more than 100 National Guardsmen are conducting or been activated for operations so far. What are the other 10 states?
HOPKINS: As I said earlier, the other 10 states have are future planning for future operations starting either starting tomorrow or later.
SCHOGOL: So, you add the first note from the 10 states and the 11 states, and you get it…?
HOPKINS: It would be hard for me to speculate. Now it would be from what I'm from what I'm looking at now, less than 200. But that could change, and I won't know that. I won't know that until tomorrow.
SCHOGOL: So roughly 200 total?
HOPKINS: As an estimate, sir, I would say that that's probably the high side. Yes, sir.
CARVER: Hey, Jeff, and someone asked a little bit earlier for an on-the-record list of states, so we'll get that to you, and you can for the details of the missions that they're looking at or that they're currently conducting, we'd ask that you call the states for that because they're working on under their state.
PAUL MCCLEARY, POLITICO: So earlier, I think you said there's 20 how many states are? Are going to assist in D.C.? Can you give us that number again, please?
LAURENCEAU: I couldn't hear Paul's question very well. What was his question?
MCCLEARY: Yeah, how many states are have been, have agreed to assist in D.C.? If you could give us that number again, please.
LAURENCEAU: Yes. Currently, it's over two dozen.
MCCLEARY: Okay, so two dozen have agreed to assist D.C. Looks like 11 are working at home with 11, another 10 training up to do that or preparing to do it as soon as tomorrow. Right?
LAURENCEAU: Yes, they're, they're based on what Mr. Hopkins mentioned earlier. There, there are so many states that are prepared to support themselves within their states. Yes, great.
MCCLEARY: And for the end, for D.C., do you have a number of troops that could assist, or are planning to assist, or have been pledged?
LAURENCEAU: I'll tell you, what's going to drive the amount of troops that we have to assist is going to be the request for assistance. But I'll tell you, in the past has been, oh, I want to say maybe four to six thousand, and so, based on what's defined within the request for assistance, that's what's going to drive the final number for for the mission itself.
MCCLEARY: Do you have a sense of when D.C., when you expect them to ask, or is it, is it dependent on, on situation on the ground?
LAURENCEAU: We're waiting, you know, so we know the ask is going to come. It's just, it's just, it's just so I don't want to use it. There are so many levels that that request has to go through before it's approved. And once it's approved, that's when we will get it, and that's where we will be able to refine the plan that's currently in place or issue it as is, and watch D.C. and other states successfully support our local partners.
HOPKINS: If I could just make one clarifying comment the guardsmen that are on duty currently and on and will be on duty perhaps starting tomorrow and into the future, they're not earmarked for supporting the D.C. National Guard during Presidential Inauguration 60. These are folks that are on short term activation. I think the last state comes off on the 12th of November, but they're mostly on bracketed on each side of the on each side of the election. So, most states are 4 to 6, 4 to 7 November.
CHARLIE D’AGATA, CBS NEWS: I am new to this game, so I understand we're referring to it as activated, not mobilized, to support the mission, particularly, specifically over the fourth to the seventh. But are we specifically talking about preparing for the possibility of violence or civil unrest? And what does that mean or look like to the uninitiated like myself? Are they drilled for this? Are they equipped for this? Are they preparing for this? Is that what we're referring to is the mission.
HOPKINS: The missions to, sir, the mission’s directed by the by the governor and by the adjutant general of the particular state. But as I said earlier, most states are conducting support to cyber networks.
D’AGATA: Cyber? But we're not talking about physical civil unrest or the possibility of violence over the next.
HOPKINS: Not, not specifically, sir.
CARVER: Hey Charlie, we had a question earlier about which states, so we'll be providing that and also the phone numbers for the states, so you can give them a call and find out exactly what the details are of those particular missions in each of those states. They're the ones who are really going to have to give you the nitty gritty.
THOMAS NOVELLY, MILITARY.COM: So yeah. I mean, some of these states have already put out statements with their numbers. I mean, for example, like I believe Nevada said they had 60 guardsmen that they have on standby status right now. I guess. Why? Why is this information you know, off the record, and if you were, if you are tallying this, I guess what's kind of the delay in telling us what states and what that breakdown is, is it just that y'all haven't completed that yet, or we just waiting on it?
CARVER: No, it's because the states are in charge of their state missions. They're supporting their civilian authorities within their state. NGB does not have tasking authority. National Guard Bureau is not giving them orders. So, we really just don't want to get ahead of the states in terms of, you know, talking sort of out of turn about what they're doing for their local civilian authorities. That's really it.
NOVELLY: And, just as a quick follow up, I suppose, off the record is just kind of the precedence for this. I mean, obviously we've seen needs for the guard to respond domestically in election situations in the past. But I'm just curious, you know, is this something that is somewhat new? Obviously, every state has their prerogative to, you know, have their guards on standby for whatever situation. But specifically, now is election day going to become one of those things like hurricane season, where Guardsmen are kind of prepared that they might have to be in standby or be prepared for it now.
CARVER: I'll field that one a little bit. I would say that the crystal ball is a little fuzzy on that. The Guard is always ready to answer the call from the governor or other state and local authorities who have a request for assistance, and it's really based on what is approved at that level for them to do. And if they've got, you know, cyber, if they've got transportation, communications, whatever, the Guard will be standing by to do, to do that. But in terms of, you know, is this going to be a repeat thing? I mean, there's no way that we could predict the future to say one way or the other.
MEREDITH ROATEN, JANES DEFENCE WEEKLY: Hi, thank you for doing this. I wanted to ask about the if there's any specific requests for equipment to be transferred to argument the DC mission for inauguration in addition to personnel?
LAURENCEAU: So, this is Colonel Laurenceau, so that's one of the things we're looking at. What needs does each state have that they cannot fulfill? And but the but the big thing that's going to drive the equipment that states bring forward is going to be that request for assistance.
ROATEN: So, are there any sample equipment that that have been thrown around in preliminary discussion?
LAURENCEAU: If I'm honest with you, the question is, do states bring up their own vehicles or not? That's one of the big things we're talking about in the past, that has not been a thing, but we're asking that question this time around, if that will be a thing, as we're looking at transportation and and transportation costs and so forth.
CARVER: Everybody, it is 2:30, so OSD is going to be starting with their presser. So, we're going to go ahead and close this one up. Sorry we couldn't get to everybody. Send us questions in our workflow, and we'll try to get questions or we'll try to get answers back to you as quick as we can. Thanks everybody for joining.