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Defense Secretary Pete Hegses approved the release of 150 California State Guard troops from Los Angeles federal security missions, and released them for wildfire duties as the state entered peak fire season.
The decision came at the recommendation of General Gregory Guillott, commander of the US Northern Command, who oversees the mission.
In a statement provided to Fox News, a USNORTHCOM spokesperson said “Task Force 51 will release approximately 150 members of the California State Guard from today’s federal protection mission,” adding that “it remains properly sourced.”
Trump administrator deploys another 2k troops in Blue City for anti-ice riots
Defense Secretary Pete Hegses will speak at a July 1st Pentagon meeting in Arlington, Virginia (Kevin Diet/Getty Images)
The move comes days after Guillot reportedly requested the return of 200 troops to help contain the wildfire, the Associated Press reported.
Rattlesnakes on the National Guard’s Elite Joint Task Force have faded as President Donald Trump deployed around 4,000 California State Guard troops and 800 Marines in Los Angeles in early June in response to violent protests over immigration enforcement measures.
According to DHS, the National Guard is permitted to detain ice attackers.
Members of the California National Guard are in the formation while protesting in Los Angeles on June 14th.
The development sparked controversy among state political leaders, including Governor Gavin Newsom. Gavin Govin Newsom criticized the move to pull essential fire resources during the driest years on record. However, the Pentagon has been held firmly up until now.
Task Force 51 (TF-51), led by Major General Scott M. Sherman, is tasked with protecting federal personnel and property.
California State Guard soldiers stand outside a federal building on June 9th in Los Angeles. (David McNew/Getty Images)
According to the U.S. Army North, the TF-51 “provides quick deployment capabilities,” supporting land defense operations. A decorated combat veteran and longtime National Guard leader, Sherman also serves as a deputy commander for the US Army.
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Despite debate over the scope of the mission during Los Angeles’ anti-ice protest, Hegses stood behind it. With 150 troops released, it is based on 4,000 people, which were originally deployed, with about 3,850 troops.
“These men and women have signed up to serve as not Trump’s political props,” Newsom’s office wrote in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “Between some of them to fight the fire is a step in the right direction, but thousands of soldiers are still blocked from their actual work as police officers, paramedics, summer school teachers and civil servants. It’s time to send them home.”
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