Martial Law in Washington D.C.?
Joint Task Force National Capital Region, A military task force charged with evacuating Washington DC, was activated in March. The task force is charged with “securing” Washington in the face of attackers, foreign and domestic—and if necessary, moving White House and other key government offices to alternate locations.
Newsweek reported in an exclusive: “AS WASHINGTON DC FACES CORONAVIRUS SPIKE, SECRET MILITARY TASK FORCE PREPARES TO SECURE THE CAPITAL,” The article implies that if demonstrations or other problems erupt or get too rowdy, the task force is prepared to declare martial law.
Just routine deployment of the task force? Perhaps, but Newsweek is doubtful: “Some of its units are already on 24/7 alert, specially sequestered on military bases and kept out of coronavirus support duties to ensure their readiness.
With the recent demonstrations being staged throughout the country in opposition to the lockdown that has taken away millions of jobs and is tanking the economy, Newsweek as well as others, warn that martial law is not such a remote possibility. But first take a look at Martial law and later at the Task Force.
According to DOD, Martial Law at its most extreme, in a hostile country consists in the suspension, by the occupying military authority, of the criminal and civil law, and of the domestic administration and government in the occupied place or territory, and in the substitution of military rule and force for the same, as well as in the dictation of general laws, as far as military necessity requires this suspension, substitution, or dictation.
The commander of the forces may proclaim that the administration of all civil and penal law shall continue either wholly or in part, as in times of peace, .unless otherwise ordered by the military authority.
Martial law was declared after the attack on Pearl Harbor. But that was during wartime, and a big concern was sabotage on the Islands.
“As regards protection of private installations outside of military reservations such as power plants, telephone exchanges and highway bridges, this head quarters by confidential letter dated June 1941, requested the Governor of the Territory to use the broad powers vested in him by section sixty seven of the Organic Act which provides, in effect, that the Governor may call upon the commanders of the military and naval forces of the United States in the Territory of Hawaii to prevent Or suppress lawless violence, invasion insurrection, etc.
That is an extreme scenario and martial law was simply declared.
In internal situations, Insurrection is the rising of people in arms against their government, or a portion of it, or against one or more of its laws, or against an officer or officers of the government. It may be confined to mere armed resistance, or it may have greater ends in view.
The governor may by proclamation declare the county or city in which troops are serving, or any specific portion thereof, to be under either complete or limited martial law to the extent, in his or her opinion, that the reestablishment or maintenance of law and order may be promoted.”Complete martial law” is the subordination of all civil authority to the military;
“Limited military law” is a partial subordination of civil authority by the setting up of an additional police power vested in the military force which shall have the right to try all persons apprehended by it in such area by a military tribunal or turn such offender over to civil authorities within five days for further action, during which time the writ of habeas corpus shall be suspended in behalf of such person.
Those extreme situations are unlikely, but what the actions of U.S. citizens becoming increasing desperate in lockdown will be is impossible to predict. Thus far demonstrations have been civil. But according to Newsweek, the extending of lockdown further for a month in D.C. may result in unpredictable outcomes.
About the task force from DOD :
The U.S. Army Military District of Washington traces the origin of its current incarnation to 1921, but its purpose existed in the Union Army headquarters that organized defenses of the nation’s capital during the Civil War.
In World War II, MDW was a jointly staffed command with new responsibilities for the air, ground and naval defense of the capital and the newly built Pentagon.
MDW became the home of the Army’s official ceremonial units, the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” These, Army cemetery operations, air support, court martial and other UCMJ responsibilities, signal activities, installation management and a variety of contingency missions and other administrative functions made MDW one of the most useful little Major Commands in the Army.
Now a Direct Reporting Unit, the command showed its mettle when terrorists struck in September 2001. It was the key defense support in the rescue and recovery operations at the Pentagon, a credential that brought streamlining of functions — and further responsibilities.
When U.S. Northern Command formed to provide homeland defense and defense support to civil authorities, MDW was charged with standing up Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region as its subcommand. The command’s Air Operations Group extends the reach of Army leadership within the region through the 12th Aviation Battalion and internationally with the jets of the Army Priority Air Transport. The MDW commander is also the senior mission commander for four Army and one joint Army/Marine multi-installation garrisons.
No longer immersed in the direct management of the installations, MDW has oversight of the garrison-level support provided to the many joint and Army missions based along with MDW as tenants of the installations.
Presently MDW is the Army Force under JFHQ-NCR, and the organizations share a single commander and core staff that link operationally with other service components and interagency partners to support both ceremonial and contingency missions as well as national outreach with The United States Army Field Band, a capability added in 2018. The MDW commanding general directs a staff to work in collaboration with other authorities, civilian and military, enhancing communications and planning as well as the ability for coherent response to crisis, as when JFHQ-NCR becomes a joint task force, as it regularly does for national special security events.
The MDW commanding general has some unique responsibilities in connection with his command’s ceremonial and national outreach mission. At various official functions as directed he represents the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the secretary of the Army or the chief of staff of the Army. The command sees the nation’s wounded on their return from battle and receives the fallen on their return. Funeral honors at Arlington National Cemetery are the command’s honored responsibility.
SENIOR COMMANDER
U.S. Army Military District of Washington’s role as Senior Commander of four Army installations puts it in partnership with the U.S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM) in assuring that the support provided at these facilities are adequate to the broader Department of Defense and Army missions.
We honor our national life through maintaining the dignity of its armed forces, staying connected with the American people and executing our given missions with efficiency, discipline and high morale.
Working at the most dynamic and exciting command in the military is fast-paced and challenging, but it is an honor to be entrusted with the care of the nation. Our missions include:
- Deter, prevent and respond to crisis, disaster, or security requirements in the National Capital Region (NCR).
- Serve as the core element of Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region (JFHQ-NCR).
- Provide priority air transport for senior Army and government officials through the executive jet fleet of the U.S. Army Priority Air Transport.
- Provide rotary-wing airlift and technical rescue through assets of the 12th Aviation Battalion.
- Oversee Army aviation in the National Capital Region, to include USAPAT and 12th Aviation, through the Army Air Operations Group.
- Serve as “Supporting Commander” responsible to coordinate and provide support for authorized military honors for funerals and memorial services, and Army ceremonial support to Arlington National Cemetery.
- Conduct official ceremonial, musical and public events, locally and worldwide, on behalf of the nation’s leadership.
- Serve as Senior Commander for Forts Meade, Belvoir, A.P. Hill and Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall (JBM-HH), formerly the Fort Myer Military Community (FMMC).
- Exercise General Officer Courts Martial Convening Authority over personnel assigned and attached for that purpose to MDW.
- Operate JPPSOWA, the Washington Area Joint Personnel Property Shipping Office, overseeing the movement of household goods for personnel coming and going in the NCR.