The sight of armed troops working alongside federal law enforcement in our nation's capital is an ominous conjuring of the founders' worst visions.
Unfortunately, a pattern is emerging: In a rare and arguably illegal move, the president, against the wishes of state and local leaders, recently deployed federal and National Guard forces to support federal law enforcement activities in Los Angeles. Now, he's doing the same thing in Washington, D.C. The difference is that, while falling crime rates suggest that his rationale for activating the National Guard in Washington is false, the president seems to have broken no laws. In both cases, though, he has clearly violated norms of civil-military relations dating back to the American Revolution.
National Guard members sign up to train for and perform federal military missions for the Army and Air Force when activated, and to be available to help their communities in times of state and local disasters. They did not sign up to police the streets of Los Angeles, Washington or any other city or state, including Florida. In both cities, troops have encountered protesters who have understandably questioned why they are there. The question we Floridians need to ask is: What's next?
In recent days, the president has started asking like-minded governors to send National Guard units to the capital, and there is growing concern that he may deploy federal or state National Guard forces to "blue cities" under the thin guise of ending "out of control crime" there. This is a decision squarely left to each state's governor.
If asked to deploy the Florida National Guard, Gov. Ron DeSantis must refuse. Only by refusing such a request can he safeguard our National Guard's apolitical status and preserve its readiness to handle its primary missions -- national security and disaster response here at home. And preserve morale for our nearly 12,000 Army and Air National Guard members.
Republican Gov. Phil Scott of Vermont recently put country before politics by politely declining the president's request that Vermont National Guardsmen step away from their core duties to support federal law enforcement activities. His courageous decision is worth emulating.
The decision to deploy our men and women in uniform should never be motivated by politics. It's dangerous for our citizens, corrosive for our military, and deadly for our democracy. Given his honorable service as a Navy judge advocate (JAG) deployed in Iraq, our governor understands the critical importance of an apolitical military, fidelity to the Constitution and the rule of law, and our hard-won commitment to healthy civil-military relations that dates back to the American Revolution. As former JAG leaders, we also understand how fragile and special American democracy is, and we implore the governor to keep our patriotic servicemembers out of the political fray.
Finally, hurricane season is here. Our Florida coastlines are among the most vulnerable in the country. Last year's hurricane season was particularly intense, with 18 named storms and 11 hurricanes, including three destructive hurricane landfalls in Florida: Debby, Helene and Milton. Our National Guard units served magnificently in response to these events. Floridians depend on their training and readiness to survive and rebuild. Stretching their mission to augment domestic law enforcement outside the state leaves us, communities outside Florida, and our National Guard personnel less safe.
The presence of military personnel patrolling our streets should surprise and alarm us. Only in extraordinary circumstances like natural disasters or acts of terrorism that require all-hands-on-deck mobilization should it be considered or tolerated. Deployment of our troops to enforce laws within our own communities risks normalizing the growing presence of armed military personnel in our streets. It conjures images long-associated with anti-democratic societies like Cuba and Venezuela, not the United States.
The Florida National Guard is needed right here in Florida. Our friends and neighbors in uniform deserve better than to be deployed across the country and thrust into political fights dividing the nation.