The news comes while officials are on a high alert, fighting on Monday morning to respond to a fire in the general area of the United States Capitol. While the Capitol was briefly put into block, interrupting a rehearsal for Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, the source of the fire turned out to be a propane tank that exploded in a nearby homeless camp.
Altogether, the Pentagon has authorized some 2,750 active duty employees to support the inauguration, but most of them – about 2,000 – are for “ceremonial support”, like the band, the official said.
National security leaders across the country ordered an unprecedented show of strength this week before the inauguration. Active teams will join the approximately 21,500 National Guards currently deployed to the National Capital Region, helping civilian authorities to respond to the threat of potential violence in the days leading up to the inauguration. That number could rise to 25,000 guards, many of whom protect the Capitol, armed with lethal weapons and riot gear.
The FBI said on Thursday that it had already made more than 100 arrests in connection with the January 6 attack on Capitol Hill and that the police were monitoring “a large number of worrying online conversations” before taking office.
Although the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, is responsible for enforcing flight restrictions over the country’s capital on Inauguration Day, as on any other day, no NORAD force was specifically dedicated to supporting the inauguration , said the defense officer.
“Multiple resources, including rotary wing and fighter planes, are always ready to intercept any aircraft that could pose a safety problem in the area,” said the official.