a trip into my past

Back in the old days, when men were men and giants roamed the earth–that is, in 1968–I was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army. My home branch was Military Intelligence. I received what was called a “regular” commission back then. I was to serve a three-year probation– the first two years in a combat arm (I chose infantry) and a third in MI. If I performed well, I would be guaranteed another 17 years of work and then a pension. (The government reneged on that promise to “regular officers” in the mid-1970s, but that’s another story. I’d chosen to leave the Army after my three-year commitment and was in graduate school.)

summer 1968

My first duty station was as a platoon leader in the Tenth Infantry regiment, which was part of the 5th Mechanized Infantry division, stationed at Fort Carson, outside Colorado Springs.

–among its other missions, the 5th had primary responsibility for riot control west of the Mississippi. Because of this, we continually practiced the coordination needed for large-scale riot control.

–in August, we were told we were going to be “pre-deployed” to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center outside Chicago just before the Democratic convention there to select the party’s presidential candidate started. The idea apparently was that this would reduce the number of anti-war activists who would demonstrate outside.

going to Chicago

Five aspects of our deployment stand out:

–our rifles came with us, but were secured in locked cases that only the highest command level had access to

–ammunition was stored separately, again in locked cases we had no access to

–we got frequent intelligence briefings, the most disturbing being reports that demonstrators were planning to blind law enforcement officials by throwing lye in their faces. As the convention began, we were informed that all the lye in downtown Chicago had been purchased over the preceding few days

–we each got a small card stating the rules of engagement. The essence was that if we harmed an American citizen in any way, we would be prosecuted and could expect no help from the Army. Yes, the high command was communicating that their careers were more important than our lives (not a good look). But the paramount idea was to make sure that an American soldier didn’t kill or harm another American.

–most of the soldiers in my company were Vietnam veterans who had gone directly from training into combat, and who were serving out the final months of their two-year service (some time later, the Army did the sensible thing and let returnees just go back to their families–but not then). Their overwhelming worry was that, having survived Vietnam, they would be disabled/killed by their fellow citizens.

Army and Marines in California today

Overall, the impression I get is that not much, if any, intelligent planning has gone into the decision to deploy Federal troops in California to support ICE. Maybe the idea is to legitimize ICE’s apparently intentional cruelty by mirroring to the deployment of Federal troops to force school integration in the South three-quarters of a century ago.

I find it a little scary to see pictures of the National Guard carrying firearms, apparently loaded. This sets up the situation where a soldier may be forced to choose between shooting a fellow American or losing a weapon and ammunition. Where’s the good possible outcome? Where’s the institutional memory?

It’s not clear to me, either, how much training or experience these Federalized troops have in riot control. Press reports I’ve read assert they have little/none, but I have no real knowledge. Hopefully, the press is wrong.

Also, Gavin Newsom seems to suggest that his conversation with Trump makes him think the president’s mind has gone down the same road as late first-term Biden’s. If so, who’s running the show?