Tennessee National Guard to provide support in DC for Joe Biden’s inauguration


Tennessee National Guard to provide support in DC for Joe Biden's inauguration

Tennesseans in uniform will provide communications, logistics, food service and religious support the D.C. National Guard as part of a national task force.

WASHINGTON — The Tennessee National Guard is sending Soldiers and Airmen to Washington, D.C. to provide support for Joe Biden’s Presidential Inauguration.

Tennesseans in uniform will provide communications, logistics, food service and religious support the District of Columbia National Guard as part of a task force of guard members from across the country.

More than 15,000 guard members will be at the ready to help at the inauguration and secure the Capitol after pro-Trump loyalists rioted and stormed the U.S. Capitol last week during the electoral vote certification, leaving five dead — including a Capitol Police officer who died from his injuries after federal investigators said a rioter hit him on the head with a fire extinguisher.

Lieutenant Colonel Chris Messina, director of the Tennessee Department of Military’s Joint Strategic Communications Office, said the deployment would not impact the COVID-19 mission at home.

“This mission to support the Presidential Inauguration in our Nation’s Capital will not impact our ongoing COVID-19 mission to support the Tennessee Department of Health with testing and the administration of the vaccine, nor our ability to support other missions within our great State — this is why our more than 12,000 Soldiers and Airmen wear the uniform,” he said.

The TN National Guard has also been requested to support the Tennessee Highway Patrol and Nashville Metro Police at the State Capitol leading up to the inauguration following warnings from the FBI of possible armed protests at all 50 state capitols.


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