Congressman Jason Crow Releases Call Summary with Secretary of the Army on January 6th Capitol Attack

Press Release

Today, Rep. Jason Crow spoke with Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy regarding the lead up to and subsequent events on the January 6 insurrection at the U.S Capitol. The call comes after Rep. Crow and Rep. Gallego sent a letter on Saturday to the Secretary requesting an urgent briefing for House Armed Services Committee Members detailing the Department of Defense and National Guard's command and control response to January 6 and their preparation for the January 20 Inauguration.

Below is a readout of the January 10 call between Rep. Crow and Secretary McCarthy:

Events before January 6th as Relayed by Secretary McCarthy

Acting Secretary of Defense (A/SD) Christopher Miller approved the deployment of 340 D.C. National Guard (DCNG) personnel in non-tactical gear for traffic control, pursuant to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's written request
U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) did not request DOD support
DOD made several more attempts to offer National Guard resources to DC Metropolitan Police (MPD) and USCP and repeatedly were told no additional resources needed
Due to the lack of additional requirements by local authorities, the D.C. Guard was not prepared for other contingencies
Law enforcement and DOD were preparing for a gathering similar in size to those that occurred on November 14th and December 12th, numbering in the low thousands
Law enforcement and DOD were preparing for small, disparate violent events (stabbings, fist fights, etc.) similar to past rallies
Events of January 6th as Relayed by Secretary McCarthy

Upon seeing the size of the rally outside of the White House, DOD realized there were a far greater number of participants than in previous gatherings
Mayor Bowser and USCP Chief Sund request urgent reinforcement between approximately 1:34-1:49pm but are unable to articulate what resources are needed and in what locations due to chaos
After the calls with the Mayor and Chief Sund, SECARMY and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) Mark Milley determine that full mobilization of Guard assets from DC and neighboring states was required
Pursuant to DOD policy, D.C. Guard mobilization authority rests with the Secretary of Defense, while the Secretary of the Army retains operational control of the Guard force
In the following period of time, between approximately 1:49 - 3:00pm ET, the SECARMY, CJCS, A/SD, and Chief of the National Guard Bureau (C,NGB) Daniel Hokanson worked to understand the unfolding situation amid chaos at the Capitol
Due to a lack of coordination and preparation, there was not a functioning operations center in the Pentagon to manage the Guard presence and direct additional resources, leaving senior DOD officials to manage the situation by tracking down previously unknown contacts of local law enforcement and making ad hoc calls in an office environment
Once A/SD approved the deployment of additional Guard assets, the units were mobilized and deployed to the Capitol where they focused on creating a security perimeter and clearing the overrun buildings
McCarthy represented that delays to the deployment of Maryland Guard assets were not due to political interference but rather due to the lack of a pre-planned requirement by the Pentagon as a result of deficient law enforcement threat reporting, and did not substantively impact the timeline for their arrival on location
Summary of Conversation Between Crow and McCarthy re: Key Updates and Security Planning for Inauguration

Secretary McCarthy said at least 25 domestic terrorism cases have been opened as a result of the assault on the Capitol
Long guns, molotov cocktails, explosive devices, and zipties were recovered which suggests a greater disaster was narrowly averted
Congressman Crow and Secretary McCarthy discussed specific operational deployments underway, troop numbers, and other assets but these numbers will not be publicly disclosed due to operational security concerns.
Secretary McCarthy indicated that DOD is aware of further possible threats posed by would-be terrorists in the days up to and including Inauguration Day and is working with local and federal law enforcement to coordinate security preparations
Congressman Crow raised grave concerns about reports that active duty and reserve military members were involved in the insurrection. He requested expedited investigation and courts martial against those involved. In addition, Congressman Crow requested CID review of troops deployed for the inauguration to ensure that deployed members are not sympathetic to domestic terrorists. Secretary McCarthy agreed to take additional measures.
Secretary McCarthy said that he is willing to publicly testify in the coming days subject to approval of his superior command.
Congressman Crow appreciated Secretary McCarthy's candor and outreach. Crow will continue working with his colleagues, including fellow veteran Rep. Ruben Gallego on the House Armed Services Committee, to review the D.C. National Guard's command authority to ensure that it is responsive to the needs of its constituents and integrated with local law enforcement like every other Guard unit in the nation.

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