THE ARMY JUST ACTIVATED A NEW BRIGADE IN WASHINGTON. HERE’S WHAT THE 260TH SPECIAL PURPOSE BRIGADE DOES.

The Army has activated a new National Guard unit built specifically for Washington. The 260th Special Purpose Brigade, activated March 7 at the D.C. Armory, is designed to coordinate military support to civil authorities and help protect critical infrastructure in the nation’s capital. Army officials describe the unit as the only brigade in the U.S. Army specifically organized to coordinate military support to civil authorities in Washington, D.C. The unit functions as a headquarters responsible for coordinating National Guard operations with civilian partners during security missions and emergencies in the capital.

A Brigade Built Specifically for Washington

The Army says the brigade provides the command-and-control structure needed to coordinate large-scale support missions in the district. During the activation ceremony, Brig. Gen. Craig Maceri, the D.C. National Guard land component commander, said the brigade gives the Guard the structure needed to execute scalable operations while integrating with federal and district partners.

Washington presents a uniquely complex security environment. The capital contains the constitutional institutions of the federal government, foreign embassies, national monuments, and millions of visitors annually.

Army officials say that the environment requires close coordination between military forces and civilian agencies during major events and emergencies.

The Order That Set the Special Brigade in Motion

According to Army and National Guard Bureau releases, the brigade was created in response to Executive Order 14339 and a subsequent directive calling for the establishment, training, and equipping of a specialized National Guard unit capable of supporting public safety operations in the District.

A White House fact sheet issued Aug. 25, 2025 states that an order directed the Secretary of Defense to create a specialized D.C. National Guard unit trained to ensure public safety and order in the nation’s capital when activation becomes necessary.

The D.C. National Guard’s Joint Task Force–District of Columbia page adds that Guard forces were activated Aug. 11 to support local and federal law enforcement efforts aimed at restoring order in the District following the crime emergency declaration.

What National Guard Forces Are Doing in Washington Now

Army and National Guard officials say the activation of about 2,500 National Guard members are supporting the mission and providing assistance to the Metropolitan Police Department to help ensure the safety of residents, commuters, and visitors throughout the city.

The Army also identifies the U.S. Marshals Service as a key partner in security coordination efforts connected to the brigade. In the official Army release, U.S. Marshal Jurgen Soekhoe said the brigade improves coordination and readiness when security demands it.

Who Commands the 260th Special Purpose Brigade?

Col. Lawrence Doane is commander of the 260th Special Purpose Brigade.

During the activation ceremony, Doane said the brigade structure ensures continuous coordination with partner agencies while maintaining the ability to scale operations quickly when additional Guard forces are required.

D.C. National Guard has named Command Sgt. Maj. Larry McKennon as the senior enlisted leader of Joint Task Force D.C. / the 260th Special Purpose Brigade.

Why the D.C. National Guard Answers to the President

The District of Columbia National Guard operates under a command structure unlike any state Guard.

According to the D.C. National Guard, the force reports directly to the President of the United States rather than to a governor. The President’s authority to activate the Guard has been delegated to the Secretary of Defense and further to the Secretary of the Army.

That unusual federal structure is one reason the brigade’s mission is centered on protecting national-level institutions and coordinating security operations in the capital.

The Brigade Revives a D.C. National Guard Lineage

The National Guard Bureau says the 260th Special Purpose Brigade carries forward the lineage of the 260th Military Police Command, a D.C. National Guard headquarters unit that coordinated military police operations supporting civil authorities across the District until its inactivation in 2011.

The Army also says that the brigade’s new insignia connects the modern mission to that lineage and incorporates three red stars and two red bars from the District of Columbia flag.

Why This Brigade Exists Now

The Army says the brigade has a headquarters capable of organizing Guard support for civil authorities, coordinating operations with federal and local partners, and expanding quickly when security conditions require additional forces.

For Washington, where national institutions, foreign embassies, and millions of visitors intersect, that coordination role is central to how the National Guard supports security operations in the capital.

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