Coalition Members Speak Out Against New Quick Reaction Forces

We recently learned about an order from the Pentagon to the national guards of all 50 US states, the District of Columbia, and all US territories to create quick reaction forces. Ostensibly to “fight crime” and “quell civil disturbances,” these forces signal a potential increase in the domestic use of the military.

Two coalition members–Janessa Goldbeck of the Vet Voice Foundation and Chris Purdy of The Chamberlain Network—spoke out in The Guardian about the dangers of this order.

Goldbeck, a former US Marine Corps captain and chief executive of the Vet Voice Foundation, a non-profit advocacy group, said the order represented “an attempt by the president to normalize a national, militarized police force”.

While the creation of national quick reaction forces was not unprecedented, they typically occurred after a serious emergency, according to Chris Purdy, a national guard veteran of the war in Iraq and CEO of The Chamberlain Network.

We urge all veterans to speak out against the growing use of the military for domestic policing activities.

For press contact, please email: info@unite4vets.org

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