- Colorado Rep. Jason Crow, a former Army Ranger, asked Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy for a military review of troops participating in the inauguration to ensure they are not sympathetic to domestic terrorists.
- The congressman's request followed an assault on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob that appears to have included veterans and may have also included current military personnel.
- Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego and Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, both of whom are Democrats and veterans, issued statements Monday urging the Pentagon to cooperate with ongoing investigations and take legal action against any current and former military members who participated in the riots.
- Gallego and Duckworth condemned participation in the storming of the Capitol by former and current military members as a violation of their oath.
Following last week's storming of the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, a military veteran in Congress asked the secretary of the Army for a review of US troops participating in President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration to be sure they are not sympathetic to domestic terrorists.
Rep. Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat and former Army Ranger, asked on a call with Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy Sunday for the military's criminal investigation units to look into "troops deployed for the inauguration to ensure that deployed members are not sympathetic to domestic terrorists."
McCarthy agreed to take additional measures, Crow said in a statement on the call.
As for whether or not the review will take place, a Pentagon spokesperson told Insider that because inaugural support is coming from the National Guard, "the responsibility for such a review would lie with the individual states contributing service members for the support mission."
Crow said that McCarthy told him that "at least 25 domestic terrorism cases have been opened as a result of the assault on the Capitol." It is unclear whether that number includes current or former military members.
Crow revealed that he requested "expedited investigation and court martial" against active-duty and reserve military members that participated in the storming of the Capitol last Wednesday.
A number of former military service members have been identified as having been a part of last week's riots. Ashli Babbitt, a US Air Force veteran, is among the most well known because she was shot and killed while attempting to break into the Capitol.
Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego and Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth issued statements today demanding that the Department of Defense cooperate with investigators to punish current and former military members who were involved.
"In attacking the Capitol, the Congress, and the Constitution that they swore to protect, any current or former military members who may have participated have disgraced themselves and committed serious crimes against the People of the United States," said Gallego, a former Marine.
The congressman added that "any such individuals should have the book thrown at them for violating their oaths and duty to the nation."
Duckworth, a former Army National Guard officer and Purple Heart recipient who sheltered away from most other senators during the rampage, said that if former and current military members were a part of the mob that assaulted the Capitol, "it would be a disgraceful insult to the vast majority of servicemembers who honorably serve our Nation."
She called for accountability, stressing that "good order and discipline demands that the US Armed Forces root out extremists that infiltrate the military and threaten our national security."
In his statement, Crow noted that the Army secretary futher indicated that "DoD is aware of further possible threats posed by would-be terrorists in the days up to and including Inauguration Day and is working with local and federal law enforcement to coordinate security preparations."
A new FBI bulletin reported Monday warned of possible "armed protests" at the US Capitol and all 50 state capitols ahead of Biden's inauguration.
The Pentagon has authorized as many as 15,000 National Guard personnel from various states and districts to deploy to Washington, DC to support local law enforcement ahead of the inauguration, Politico reported Monday, citing defense officials.
There are currently over 6,000 National Guard troops in DC, and that number is expected to surge to 10,000 by this weekend.
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