Washington DC - The Pentagon has ordered the creation of a National Guard Quick Reaction Force trained in "riot/crowd control."

The October 8 memo from Major General Ronald Burkett – obtained by The Guardian – calls for such forces to be created and trained in every US state as well as in the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

The memo cites an executive order by President Donald Trump authorizing the National Guard deployment to Washington DC and calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to establish a "standing National Guard quick reaction force that shall be resourced, trained, and available for rapid nationwide deployment."

Each state or territory's quick reaction force will be composed of between 100 and 500 members, per Burkett's instructions.

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The training is to cover the use of batons, body shields, Tasers, and pepper spray.

The memo comes as the Trump administration has deployed National Guard troops to multiple Democratic-led cities, sparking a wave of protests and legal challenges.

While Donald Trump has claimed the deployments are intended to lower crime, they are widely seen as a bid to suppress protests and facilitate the president's mass deportation agenda.