Tag: PI60

The Idaho National Guard mobilized approximately 350 Soldiers and Airmen to Washington, D.C. Jan. 17 to assist district and federal agencies with the 60th Presidential Inauguration.

“I am incredibly proud of the men and women of the Idaho National Guard as they mobilize to support civil authorities during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C.,” said Maj. Gen. Tim Donnellan, adjutant general of Idaho and commander of the Idaho National Guard. “Their professionalism, dedication and unwavering commitment to our nation exemplify the very best of our state and our military tradition. I have full confidence in their ability to represent Idaho with honor and ensure the safety and security of this historic event.”

Idaho is one of approximately 40 National Guard states supporting the peaceful transfer of power between President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald J. Trump Jan. 20.

Guardsmen will augment the Washington D.C. National Guard and serve in support of the U.S. Secret Service, the lead federal agency responsible for coordinating the event, and assist the U.S. Capitol Police. Guardsmen will assist with crowd management, traffic control, emergency response services and other critical tasks necessary for the event’s success.

Idaho’s citizen-Soldiers and Airmen will return to Idaho following the inauguration.

The National Guard’s predecessors supported George Washington’s first inauguration and the National Guard has supported every inauguration since Abraham Lincoln’s in 1861. This mobilization maintains this tradition. More recently, the Idaho National Guard supported the 59th Presidential Inauguration in a similar role in 2021.

The Idaho National Guard also deployed a UH-60 Black Hawk company to Fort Belvoir, Virginia, last week for an unrelated year-long mission supporting the Joint Emergency Evacuation Plan in the National Capital Region, a routine rotational mission performed by National Guard units in support of the U.S Army.