The Pentagon says it's streamlined the approval process for urgent use of National Guard forces in the District of Columbia.

An independent review has concluded that the Defense Department and its top leaders acted appropriately before and during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

He said Guard members are also getting training on how to identify potential insider threats. Multiple officials said the process began as the first Guard troops began deploying to D.C. more than a week ago. That could include involvement in prior investigations or terrorism-related concerns, said David Gomez, a former FBI national security supervisor in Seattle. Insider threats have been a persistent law enforcement priority in the years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, has been meeting with Guard troops as they arrive in D.C. and as they gather downtown.

He said Guard members are also getting training on how to identify potential insider threats. Multiple officials said the process began as the first Guard troops began deploying to D.C. more than a week ago. That could include involvement in prior investigations or terrorism-related concerns, said David Gomez, a former FBI national security supervisor in Seattle. Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, has been meeting with Guard troops as they arrive in D.C. and as they gather downtown. Behind them were dozens more National Guard officers and staff, with their eyes trained on additional maps and charts displayed on the wall.

As of Thursday, there are roughly 7,000 Guard members in Washington, with thousands more on the way. Officials say Guard members from all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, are deploying to the city. As of Thursday, there are roughly 7,000 Guard members in Washington, with thousands more on the way. Pentagon officials approved requests to have some Guard members armed with either long guns or handguns, particularly those Guard members assigned near the U.S. Capitol. ___9:55 a.m.President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial could begin at 1 p.m. on Inauguration Day next Wednesday as President-elect Joe Biden is being sworn into office.

And it would require the permission of various authorities, depending on where the Guard members were stationed. He said Friday that there are new plans to have more frequent meetings with law enforcement to go over the intelligence reports so that law enforcement is better prepared. As of Thursday evening, he said Guard members in D.C. are being allowed to wear their ballistic helmets. Officer Brian D. Sicknick, 42, was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher, two law enforcement officials said. All together, 6,200 Guard members have been activated, and are expected to arrive in D.C. over the next few days.

Capitol police officers stand outside of fencing that was installed around the exterior of the Capitol grounds, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021 in Washington. A woman was fatally shot, windows were bashed and the mob forced shaken lawmakers and aides to flee the building, shielded by Capitol Police. And as the mob descended on the building Wednesday, Justice Department leaders reached out to offer up FBI agents. The rioting and loss of control has raised serious questions over security at the Capitol for future events. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said that as the rioting was underway, it became clear that the Capitol Police were overrun.

Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy speaks about an investigation into Fort Hood, Texas at the Pentagon, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, in Washington. A day after Army officials released an independent panel's report on chronic leadership failures and widespread violence at Fort Hood, lawmakers said they will ensure the Army makes long-delayed changes. Elder Fernandes, who was missing for more than a week before he was found dead about 28 miles from Fort Hood. Army leaders concluded that leadership failures contributed to the widespread crime problems at Fort Hood. The five-member panel spent three weeks at Fort Hood and conducted more than 2,500 interviews, including 647 in person.

Texas leaders and organizations reacted after the Army fired or suspended 14 officers and enlisted soldiers at the Fort Hood base following a report of at least 25 Fort Hood soldiers who died from suicide, homicide or accidents, including the bludgeoning death of Spc. Vanessa Guillen. He also ordered a separate probe into staffing and procedures at the base’s Criminal Investigation Command unit, which is responsible for investigating crimes on Fort Hood. READ: 14 Fort Hood soldiers fired, suspended over violence at baseThe reactions follow:Sen. Ted Cruz released the following written response:“I’m deeply troubled by the findings published today about the command climate at Ft. The review concluded that CID at Fort Hood is not prepared to handle cases in general.

He also ordered a separate probe into staffing and procedures at the base's Criminal Investigation Command unit, which is responsible for investigating crimes on Fort Hood. Mejhor Morta was found near a reservoir by Fort Hood. The five-member panel spent three weeks at Fort Hood and conducted more than 2,500 interviews, including 647 in person. They said they found a deep dissatisfaction with the sexual assault and harassment reporting and response program. Fort Hood, he said, has the highest rate of positive drug tests in the Army.

A memorial for Specialist Vanessa Guillén outside the Fort Hood U.S. Army post in Killeen. A “significant number” of U.S Army officers and soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas are expected to be fired in an effort to correct a years-long culture of sexual assault and a pattern of violence at the base, the Associated Press reported. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy is expected to remove soldiers from their jobs and trigger investigations that could lead to wider punishments, according to the AP. Guillén was the victim of sexual harassment, her sister said, but she didn’t report the sexual harassment out of fear of retaliation. Between 2014 and 2019, an average of 129 felonies were committed annually at Fort Hood, including murder, kidnapping and sexual assault.

McCarthy and other senior Army leaders are expected to announce the results of the review on Tuesday. Officials say they expect that Army Lt. Gen. Pat White, the base commander, will not face any administrative action. Army leaders have already delayed Efflandt's planned transfer to Fort Bliss, where he was slated to take over leadership of the 1st Armored Division. In a recent video message on Twitter, McCarthy said he had reviewed the findings of the independent commission he sent to assess the command climate at Fort Hood. All together, so far this year, 25 soldiers assigned to Fort Hood have died due to suicide, homicide or accidents, compared with 32 last year and 24 in 2018.

HOUSTON – Community members came together to honor murdered Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen. On Thursday, Guillen’s family stood alongside community organizers outside a mural dedicated to Guillen at 7620 Gulf Freeway. But the most powerful voice of the evening was the voice that came from Vanessa Guillen’s 16-year-old sister Lupe Guillen. “I believe that if anyone would have spoken up for her, I believe I wouldn’t be standing here today,” Lupe Guillen said. However, Vanessa Guillen’s family said it has been seven months since their loved one’s death and there has been no one held accountable.

WASHINGTON – Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy has reversed the COVID-related cancellation of an annual wreath-laying event at Arlington National Cemetery next month, following criticism on social media and pleas to the White House. President Donald Trump said later Tuesday it was he who had reversed “the ridiculous decision” to cancel the event. Each year, volunteers around the country place wreaths on the tombstones and markers of veterans as part of Wreaths Across America. The tradition began in 1992 when a Maine wreath maker donated 5,000 wreaths to Arlington. On Monday, Arlington National Cemetery announced that it was “with great regret,” cancelling the Wreaths Across America event scheduled for Dec. 19, due to COVID-19.

Army leaders said Tuesday that they have not received any requests to use active-duty or National Guard troops for possible civil unrest surrounding the presidential election next month, but are ready to do so if called on. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said no government agencies have asked for military troops. Thousands of National Guard troops, however, were used in Washington and in states across the nation to help law enforcement. The Army leaders on Tuesday also addressed other issues surrounding possible unrest. He and other Army leaders sat socially distant during the event and wore masks whenever they were not speaking.

Two congressional subcommittees are investigating the leadership at Fort Hood following a series of deaths and instances of sexual abuse and harassment. The soldier suspected of killing Guillen, Spc. Guillen was the victim of sexual harassment, her sister said, but she didnt report the sexual harassment out of fear of retaliation. Gregory Wedel-Morales, a private at Fort Hood whose body was found in June, nearly a year after he went missing in August 2019. Between 2014 and 2019, an average of 129 felonies were committed annually at Fort Hood, including murder, kidnapping and sexual assault, according to the letter.

FORT HOOD, Texas – The U.S. Army is asking for the public’s help in a search for another missing soldier in Texas. Fort Hood officials issued a missing soldier alert Thursday night for Sgt. Gregory Morales, 24, a Fort Hood soldier who was reported missing on Aug. 20, 2019. Vanessa Guillén, 20, a Fort Hood soldier who had been missing since April. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy has commented that Fort Hood has one of the highest rates of murder, sexual assault and harassment in the Army.

KILLEEN, Texas (AP) Central Texas authorities say theyve cracked a child prostitution ring involving nine men, including three soldiers. Two Fort Hood soldiers and one from Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio are among the nine suspects netted in their investigation, Killeen police said. Seven suspects, including the Fort Hood soldiers, were arrested on felony child prostitution charges. The other two, including the Fort Sam Houston soldier, were charged with misdemeanor prostitution. Meantime, the planned transfer of the Fort Hood commander to Fort Bliss to assume command of a division has been postponed.

FORT HOOD, Texas – The Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy held a news conference Thursday in Fort Hood to discuss the death of Spc. In late June, skeletal remains were found in a field near Fort Hood. According to a federal complaint, the 20-year-old was killed and dismembered at the base by a fellow Fort Hood soldier who later shot himself. Guillen’s death served as a catalyst, bringing to light the many issues within the military such as sexual harassment and sexual assault. In addition, the Army is rolling out “Project Inclusion,” which will address behaviors and issues such as a lack of diversity, discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault and suicide.

WASHINGTON The Army will take a few limited steps to counter racial divisiveness among its force, but is delaying a number of more contentious decisions, including recommendations on banning Confederate symbols and changing the names of bases. Trump two weeks ago said his administration will not even consider changing the name of any of the 10 Army bases that are names for Confederate Army officers. The Senate's top Republican, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, has said he would be OK with renaming bases. McCarthy and Esper both had indicated this month that they were open to discussions about renaming bases, but are now relying on Congress. The Navy, which had begun steps to direct the removal of Confederate symbols, has not finalized or put in place the plan.

(CNN) President Donald Trump said Wednesday he opposes any effort by the US military to rename the nearly one dozen major bases and installations that bear the names of Confederate military commanders. US Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and Defense Secretary Mark Esper are said to be open to holding a "bipartisan conversation" about renaming nearly a dozen major bases and installations that bear the names of Confederate military commanders, according to an Army official. But Trump tweeted: "These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a... ....history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom. Therefore, my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations." Army bases across the country have continued to bear the names of Confederate military commanders even amid intense external pressure to rename them.

FILE - In this Jan. 4, 2020, file photo a sign for at Fort Bragg, N.C., is shown. (AP Photo/Chris Seward, File)WASHINGTON The U.S. military is rethinking its traditional connection to Confederate Army symbols, mindful of their divisiveness at a time the nation is wrestling with questions of race after the death of George Floyd in police hands. The Army and Air Force have not yet followed Berger's lead, but a defense official said Tuesday that the issue of banning Confederate Army symbols is now under discussion at the highest levels of the Pentagon. Ten major Army installations are named for Confederate Army officers, mostly senior generals, including Robert E. Lee. Few voices in the military are openly defending the link to Confederate symbols, but some of the bases named for Confederate officers are legendary in their own right.

(CNN) US Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper are said to be open to holding a "bipartisan conversation" about renaming nearly a dozen major bases and installations that bear the names of Confederate military commanders, according to an Army official. Army installations named after Confederate leaders include Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Hood in Texas and Fort A.P. And on Friday, the US Marine Corps announced it had ordered the removal of all public displays of the Confederate flag from Marine installations. The flag of the Confederacy, its symbols and the statues commemorating Confederate leaders have long divided the country. Still, Army bases across the country have continued to bear the names of Confederate military commanders even amid intense external pressure to rename them.

FILE - In this Jan. 4, 2020, file photo a sign for at Fort Bragg, N.C., is shown. (AP Photo/Chris Seward, File)WASHINGTON The U.S. military is rethinking its traditional connection to Confederate Army symbols, mindful of their divisiveness at a time the nation is wrestling with questions of race after the death of George Floyd in police hands. The Army and Air Force have not yet followed Berger's lead, but a defense official said Tuesday that the issue of banning Confederate Army symbols is now under discussion at the highest levels of the Pentagon. Ten major Army installations are named for Confederate Army officers, mostly senior generals, including Robert E. Lee. Few voices in the military are openly defending the link to Confederate symbols, but some of the bases named for Confederate officers are legendary in their own right.

But a number of other active-duty soldiers remain on alert in the region, prepared to respond if needed. The decision to send the troops home comes as D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has repeatedly complained about the growing contingent of National Guard troops in the city to help handle the protests,and has opposed any use of active-duty forces. The troops, known as the Old Guard, are based close to D.C. at Fort Myer, Virginia, and have been on 30-minute alert status. The active-duty troops were available, but were not used in response to the protests and never went into D.C. They were brought to the capital region early this week as protests in the city turned violent.

WASHINGTON WASHINGTON (AP) Several hundred active-duty troops brought in to help if needed with the civil unrest in the nations capitol are leaving Washington, D.C. Thursday, just a day after their initially planned departure was abruptly delayed. The remainder of the active-duty troops are expected to get pulled home in the coming days if conditions allow. The active-duty troops were available, but were not used in response to the protests. About 1,300 active-duty troops were brought in to the capital region early this week as protests in the city turned violent. The troops, known as the Old Guard, are based close to D.C. at Fort Myer, Virginia, and have been on 30-minute alert status.