As we used to say when I was wearing Uncle Sam's colors, "(Stuff)'s about to get real." Reports on Monday afternoon are that 500 Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines at Twentynine Palms, California, are being deployed into the area currently in rebellion. The Marines are said to "not be engaged in law enforcement," but it's not yet clear if they will be playing any role other than protecting federal property. But, they are Marines. Do the math.
A battalion of 500 U.S. Marines are mobilizing to Los Angeles to respond to anti-immigration enforcement riots, Fox News has learned.
The Marines will be tasked with protecting federal property and federal personnel, according to a senior defense official, and the deployment is open-ended.
The Marines will not be carrying out a law enforcement role, but it’s unclear what their use of force rules are if protesters throw things or spit at them.
CNN has an interesting bit of speculation:
The deployment of the full Marine battalion marks a significant escalation in Trump’s use of the military as a show of force against protesters, but it is still unclear what their task will be once in LA, the sources said. Like the National Guard troops, they are prohibited from conducting law enforcement activity such as making arrests unless Trump invokes the Insurrection Act, which permits the president to use the military to end an insurrection or rebellion of federal power.
This has the potential to change things a great deal, but CNN raises a good point, albeit probably unwittingly: Why has President Trump not invoked the Insurrection Act? If what has been going on in Los Angeles isn't an open rebellion - an insurrection - then there's no such thing. And if this thing isn't squashed flat, but allowed to simmer down on its own as the rioters get distracted by shiny things, then the next time ICE conducts an operation in the area, the same thing will explode all over again.
Like any good Army type, I have teased my brethren in the Corps, but there is nobody on the planet better at kicking some and taking some than the United States Marines. Their deployment, Insurrection Act or not, indicates that the federal government and the commander-in-chief just plain aren't playing anymore.
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500 Marines are a battalion, more or less; that's a significant force, especially going up against untrained civilians. Of course, much will depend on what the Marines' Rules of Engagement (RoE) are, and what they are issued as far as gear, weapons, and ammo. How will Marines react if rocks are thrown at them, or if someone kicks a tear-gas canister into their ranks?
Here's the big question, given that these are Marines: Will they have bayonets? Facing a rank of hard-faced Marines in full gear with the shiny edges of the M7 bayonets on their rifles glittering in the sun, or in the light of burning cars, would be enough to make the more committed rebel think twice.
As of this writing, it's not clear whether the Marines are on site in the LA area or are still deploying. This is a developing story; we'll keep you updated as events warrant.
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