The Idaho National Guard is set to assist with the inauguration of Joe Biden in Washington D.C.
The Idaho National Guard announced Wednesday 300 soldiers and airmen will go to the inauguration to help local and federal agencies. The guardsmen will leave Gowen Field as early as Friday.
The Idaho guardsmen could be part of more than 25,000 guard members nation-wide assisting with the inauguration.
“The National Guard has participated in every presidential inauguration in our nation’s history,” said Maj. Gen. Michael Garshak, adjutant general of Idaho, in a statement. “It is an honor to be a part of the tradition of ensuring the peaceful and orderly transition of national power; an act that separates us from many other countries across the world.”
The assisting guardsmen will help with security, communications, medical, logistics and safety support to district and federal agencies during the inauguration.
The Idaho National Guard has been planning on sending around 12 members but has recently increased as part of a request to provide additional guard support. The deployment does not impact guard members working in Idaho as part of the COVID-19 response, according to the Idaho National Guard.
The Idaho National Guard has prior experience to lean on after they made a trip to the Capitol last summer. Now they will embark on another unique mission to help ensure a peaceful presidential transition.
"You rely on your experience so we have that past experience back in June but secondly a main tenet of the Idaho National Guard is always ready," said Col. Christopher Borders. "We put out a call for volunteers and in a state like Idaho there are always plenty of those."
The new mission will not have an impact on the current mission of the Idaho National Guard, as personnel will continue to help on the COVID-19 front. There are still enough resources to respond to potential emergencies here in Idaho.
