>>BRUCE HAMILTON: 12 US NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM SECURING
PRESIDENT ELECT JOE BIDEN’S
INAUGURATION AFTER VETTING BY
THE FBI INCLUDING 2 WHO MADE
EXTREMIST STATEMENTS AND POSTS
ARE TAXED ABOUT
TODAY’S EVENT. PENTAGON
OFFICIALS SAID THERE WERE NO
SPECIFIC THREATS TO THE
INCOMING PRESIDENT. IT COMES AS
US DEFENSE OFFICIALS SAID THEY
ARE WORRIED ABOUT AN INSIDER
ATTACK OR OTHER THREATS FROM
SERVICE MEMBERS INVOLVED IN
SECURING PRESIDENT ELECT JOE
BIDEN’S INAUGURATION. IT
PROMPTED THE FBI TO BET ALL OF
THE 25,000 NATIONAL
GUARD TROOPS THAT CAME TO THE
NATIONAL NASH NATION’S CAPITAL
FOR
THE EVENT. THE MASSIVE
UNDERTAKING REFLECTS THE
EXTRAORDINARY SECURITY CONCERNS
THAT HAVE GRIPPED WASHINGTON
FOLLOWING THE DEADLY JANUARY 6
INSURRECTION AT THE U.S.
CAPITOL BY PRO TRUMP RIOTERS.
AND IT UNDERSCORES FEARS THAT
SOME OF THE VERY PEOPLE
ASSIGNED TO PROTECT THE CITY
OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS
COULD PRESENT A THREAT.
JOINING ME ON THE MORNING SHOW
IS DOUG BURNETT THE FORMER
ADJUTANT GENERAL OF THE FLORIDA
NATIONAL GUARD GOOD MORNING,
SIR. GOOD MORNING TO YOU SIR
HONOR TO
BE HERE. IT IS OUR PLEASURE TO
HAVE YOU I ASK THIS WITH THE
GREATEST RESPECT FOR THE MEN
AND WOMEN
WHO SERVED IF YOU FIND IT
DISCONCERTING THAT WE ARE IN A
TIME IN HISTORY WHEN WE EVEN
HAVE TO QUESTION
THE LOYALTY OF THE MEN AND
WOMEN WHO PLEDGED TO PROTECT
THIS NATION AND OUR DEMOCRACY.
WELL SIR, YES,
IT IS CHALLENGING TIMES AND WE
RESPOND IN AN APPROPRIATE WAY.
BUT I DON’T THINK THAT THEY’RE
QUESTIONING
THE LOYALTY OF THE NATIONAL
GUARD OR ARMY AIR FORCE FOLKS.
WHAT YOU’RE ASKING IS HEY CAN
YOU DO THIS DUTY IF YOU
HAVE PRECONCEIVED THE STRONG
IDEAS LEFT ARE STRONG
IDEAS RIGHT AND I THINK 12 OUT
OF 25,000 PRETTY
LOW NUMBER.
>> SO THOSE FOLKS STOOD UP THE
SOLDIER DID SAY HEY I REALLY
DON’T WANT TO
DO THIS AND WE RESPECT THAT
THAT MEAN THEY’RE DISLOYAL THAT
MADE YOUR OWN PATRIOTIC.
QUESTIONING THEY WILL SPIRIT
AND PATRIOTISM AMERICAN PEOPLE
IS A PRETTY HOT CALLING AND
THAT’S NOT REALLY WHAT THE
LEADERSHIP IN WASHINGTON DOING
PROBABLY
THE FBI.
>>BRUCE HAMILTON: WELL, THEY
DIDN’T NECESSARILY STAND UP
THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO CAME
FORWARD AND SAID WE SAW SOME
TAX OR YOU KNOW THEY HAVE SOME
OTHERS WHO SAID WE HEARD SOME
THINGS AND THEN YOU HAVE A
CORPORAL IN THE VIRGINIA
NATIONAL GUARD WHO WAS CHARGED
AND APPEARED LAST WEEK IN
FEDERAL COURT IN CONNECTION
WITH THE VIOLENCE WHICH HAS
BEEN LINKED TO 5 DEATHS AND
WIDESPREAD DAMAGE THROUGHOUT
THE BUILDING AND YOU HAVE THOSE
12 TODAY. SO.
>> IT DOES HAPPEN.
>> WELL, THAT’S TRUE. BUT AGAIN
WE’VE GOT 25,000 FOLKS
MICROCOSM OF AMERICA AND SO YOU
DON’T HAVE SOME OF THEIR VERY
FEW. THAT THAT OFF THE MARK
BUT I CAN TELL YOU THIS THE
DISCIPLINE INTEGRITY OF OUR
NATIONAL GUARD SAME AS THE
UNITED
STATES ARMY. HONORABLE
AMERICANS DOING THE JOB
REMEMBER THEY DIDN’T GET CALL
UP THERE TO DO.
PROTECT A PERSON THEY CALL TO
PROTECT DEMOCRACY
AND FREEDOM AND THOSE SHRINES
OF DEMOCRACY LIKE THE
INAUGURATION INAUGURAL
PLATFORM, THE WHITE HOUSE.
YES, THE CAPITOL BUILDING TO
AND THEY WILL DO A SUPERB JOB
OF IT BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT THE
NATIONAL GUARD DOES THEY’RE
TRAINED TO DO CIVIL UNREST,
DUTY WITH GREAT RESTRAINT
GREAT CAUTION.
>>BRUCE HAMILTON: UNDERSTOOD
AND THE MAJORITY DO HAVE THAT
INTEGRITY WE’LL TALK MORE ABOUT
PROTECTING DEMOCRACY IN A
SECOND. BUT IF YOU DID HAVE
SOMEBODY IN YOUR COMMAND WHO
STARTED TO TALK POLITICS AMONG
THE RANKS AND SEEMED TO PRESENT A THREAT OR INCITE OTHERS HOW TO BE HANDLED.
WELL THAT COMMANDER WOULD
CERTAINLY TAKE ACTION
IMMEDIATELY TO GET THEM OUT OF
THAT ENVIRONMENT AND THEN WENT
BACK HOME THAT WILL BE
LOOKED AT BY THE INSPECTOR THE
JUDGE THAT JUDGE ADVOCATE
GENERALS. WE REALLY DON’T HAVE
MUCH OF NATIONAL GUARD, THIS
PARTICULAR MISSION BECAUSE IT
IS ISSUE IS NOT ABOUT POLITICS
THIS PARTY THAT PARTY
AND FOLKS COME TOGETHER WITH A
COMMON BOND TO PROTECT EACH
OTHER AND DO THE MISSION AT
HAND AND THAT’S WHAT YOU THINK
OF IT AS A MISSION
AND YOU KNOW I CHATTED
YESTERDAY YOU MADE A GOOD POINT
IT’S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT
THAT A CONSCIOUS DECISION WAS
MADE TO DEPLOY NATIONAL GUARD
TROOPS AND NOT ARMY OR MARINE
GUARD TO THIS INAUGURATION BECAUSE IT SENDS A MUCH DIFFERENT MESSAGE THAN SENDING
IN THE OTHERS.
OH YES, SIR, ABSOLUTELY, THE
LEADERSHIP IN THE PENTAGON MADE
THE ABSOLUTE RIGHT DECISION TO
USE THE NATIONAL GUARD.
WHAT IF YOU GO FORWARD 3 MONTHS
AFTER INAUGURATION, THIS
COUNTRY DOESN’T LOOK BACK AND
SAY WE HAD
TO HAVE ARMED ACTIVE DUTY, U.S.
MILITARY IN THE STREETS TO
PROTECT INAUGURATION. NOW YOU
HAD TO GUARD IS A SECURITY
FORCE. WE DO WILDFIRES A
RESPONSE TO HURRICANE NATURAL
DISASTERS AND YES, CIVIL
UNREST, THE GUARD TRAINS ONE
WEEKEND,
A YEAR IN AND CIVIC DUTY STREET
DUTY DEALING WITH THESE ISSUES
LIKE THIS, THE ACTING ARMY DOES
NOT DO THAT GREAT FORCE AND IF
YOU STILL HAVE JUST ONE
THE GUARD IS A RIGHT FOR US TO
USE FOR THIS AND THEY WILL DO
IT VERY WELL AND PROTECTING
DEMOCRACY IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL
HERE GENERAL BURNETT WILL BE
OUT WITH US THROUGHOUT THE
COURSE OF THE MORNING FOR MORE