Montana sending 150 National Guard soldiers to inauguration
Members of the National Guard walk past the Dome of the Capitol Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
HELENA (AP) — Montana is sending 150 Army National Guard soldiers to the nation's capital to help provide security for the inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden next week, Gov. Greg Gianforte said Thursday.
"I'm grateful to our selfless soldiers who are answering the call of duty again today to help ensure a peaceful transfer of power, a bedrock of our republic," said Gianforte.
As a member of the U.S. House in December, Gianforte offered his support to a failed Texas lawsuit that asked the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate the results of the presidential election in four states won by Biden. A day after insurrectionists interrupted Congress' counting of the electoral college votes on Jan. 6, Gianforte said he was glad that the U.S. House and U.S. Senate reconvened that night and ratified the election. "It's time to move on," he said.
The National Guard Bureau and federal authorities requested the security help in Washington, Gianforte said Thursday.
Soldiers from the 484th Military Police Company, located in Billings, Malta and Glasgow, 143rd Military Police Company, located in Lewistown, and Headquarters, Headquarters Company of the 1-163rd Combined Arms Battalion, located in Belgrade, are being combined for the mission.
They will join more than 20,000 Guard members from dozens of other states to support the Washington D.C. National Guard and federal law enforcement agencies, officials said.