SUN: Maryland National Guard creating crowd, riot control reaction force

The Maryland National Guard is set to establish a crowd control reaction force by April, following an order from a top military commander requiring every state, territory and the District of Columbia create a “quick reaction force” that provides crowd and riot control as well as use riot batons and shields.

The state’s National Guard has prioritized creating the quick reaction force and intends to dedicate hundreds of soldiers to the effort.

“As Commander in Chief of the Maryland National Guard, the Governor remains confident in the Guard’s commitment to their mission protecting and assisting the residents of Maryland under his command,” Gov. Wes Moore’s Senior Advisor and Communications Director David Turner, told The Baltimore Sun in an email.

Signed by the Pentagon’s National Guard Bureau’s Director of Operations, Maj. Gen Ronald Burkett, the Oct. 8 memo was first reported on by The Guardian.

The memo requires quick reaction forces to be able to deploy 25% of the force within eight hours, 50% within 12 hours and 100% within 24 hours.

When reached for comment, the Maryland Military Department referred The Sun to the National Guard Bureau of Public Affairs, which confirmed the formation of a Maryland-based quick reaction force, to be in place no later than April 1, 2026.

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