Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Thursday that he has authorized the Arkansas National Guard to deploy about 500 soldiers and airmen to Washington, D.C., to help protect the nation's capital during President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, which the Republican governor said he plans to attend.
The guardsmen will begin deploying Sunday and plan to return before the end of January, according to the Arkansas National Guard.
"As I thought about the request that was made for assistance of our National Guard resources, yes, we want to participate in that," Hutchinson said Thursday during the superintendents symposium for the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators. "We want to do our share to keep our nation's Capitol safe.
"Hopefully .... it will be a very safe venue, but it is important that we have a smooth transition and a peaceful transition that reflects the best of America and we want the world to see that."
Hutchinson's approval of the Arkansas Guard's presence in Washington was given a week after supporters of President Donald Trump ransacked the Capitol as Congress counted Electoral College votes. Tensions in Washington and in state capitals around the U.S. have remained high as law enforcement officials have warned of demonstrations during the weekend and leading to Inauguration Day.
Federal officials requested help from each state to protect the Capitol next week and initially asked Arkansas to provide 400 soldiers and airmen, later increasing the request to 500, Hutchinson said in an interview Thursday.
"In talking with Gen. [Kendall] Penn, we do have sufficient resources that in the event there was any threat here in Arkansas that needed deployment we do have [resources] sufficient to cover both here and what we are sending to Washington," he said.
A Guard spokesman said that the Arkansas Guard has 9,000 soldiers and airmen.
The Arkansas deployment will be about 500 soldiers primarily from the 142nd Field Artillery Brigade based in Northwest Arkansas and airmen from the 189th Airlift Wing, the Guard said in a release.
Hutchinson told the school administrators that last week's mob at the U.S. Capitol must have been jarring for young people who watched it unfold.
"So, it is very important for me, it is important for our nation that we have a very successful peaceful inauguration next week on Jan. 20," he said.
Hutchinson said he plans to attend Biden's inauguration to represent the state and the nation's governors.
"I think it is important as a loyal member of the opposition party that we demonstrate to the world that there is a togetherness and a transition, where opponents come together and say, 'We might disagree, but we want everything to work together well for our country and our future,'" he said.
Afterward, Hutchinson said it is typical for a governor to attend the inauguration of the president, acknowledging that the coronavirus and threats have made attendance more difficult this year.
"With both my role with leadership of the National Governors Association as well as representing Arkansas, it is important for me to be there to represent our nation's governors because you have not just the Congress of the United States, you have the judiciary that is represented there, but also the governors as part of our system of democracy need to be represented there," the governor said.
Hutchinson said he is currently vice chairman of the National Governors Association and expects to become chairman of the association starting in August. He is a former 3rd District congressman, federal Homeland Security undersecretary and head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Secret Service, which asked for the Arkansas Guard's help, is the lead federal agency responsible for coordinating, planning, exercising and implementing security for National Security Special Events, such as presidential inaugurations.
Arkansas guardsmen will work alongside several other states' Guard units, the D.C. Metro Police, the U.S. Park Police, the U.S. Capitol Police and the Secret Service, according to the Arkansas Guard.
The requested missions include assistance with traffic control and access control points, traffic management, subway station security, crowd management, patrol/watch stander on outside fencing, and facility security at City Hall, the National Mall and the Lincoln Memorial among others.
As Washington begins to shut down in advance of next week's inauguration, the number of National Guard troops arriving to assist with security has grown to about 26,000, officials said Thursday.
On the ground next week, much of the most visible security will come in the form of Guard troops, some of them armed. Pentagon officials approved requests to have some of them carry either long guns or handguns, particularly those assigned near the Capitol building, The Associated Press reported. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss security details.
National Guard members operate under strict rules of engagement on the use of force. But generally speaking, troops can use lethal force to protect the lives of others and themselves.
D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee estimated Wednesday that more than 20,000 National Guard members would be active in the city on Inauguration Day. But officials said Thursday that the number has grown based on additional requests from law enforcement agencies.
As of Thursday, there are roughly 7,000 already in the city, with thousands more en route. The length of their missions may vary, but U.S. Department of Defense officials were authorized to deploy the Guard for up to 30 days for the inauguration and surrounding protests.
Officials say Guard members from all 50 states are deploying to the city, even though each state is on alert against violent protests or attacks in its own capital.
The Arkansas Guard's 189th Airlift Wing based at Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville will provide C130H aircraft to transport guardsmen to Washington.
In addition to security concerns in Washington, the FBI warned state officials across the country earlier this week of armed protests leading up to Biden's inauguration.
Kevin Niehaus, an Arkansas secretary of state's office spokesman, said earlier this week that the state Capitol Police was aware of the FBI's alert and coordinating with other agencies.
An Arkansas State Police presence at the state Capitol will be "above and beyond" what it normally is during the legislative session, according to Bill Sadler, a state police spokesman.
While the state police agency normally has a "minimal" presence at the Capitol, that number has been increased during the session, Sadler said.
Sadler declined to disclose what the increased security presence will look like.
While National Guardsmen in other states have been activated in light of the threats of potential violence, there is not a request for the Arkansas National Guard to assist with security at the state Capitol for Wednesday's inauguration, according to a spokesman for the Guard.
"We're always ready to support them if need be, but we don't have a request for that support," said Lt. Col. Brian Mason.
Information for this article was contributed by The Associated Press.