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Army: Esper Reverses Plan to Send Active-Duty Troops Home

Associated Press

   WASHINGTON - n an abrupt reversal, Defense Secretary Mark Esper on
   Wednesday overturned an earlier Pentagon decision to send a couple
   hundred active-duty soldiers home from the Washington, D.C., region,
   amid growing tensions with the White House over the military response
   to the protests.

   Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told The Associated Press that the
   reversal came after Esper attended a meeting at the White House, and
   after other internal Pentagon discussions. It is unclear if Esper met
   with President Donald Trump. McCarthy said he believes the change was
   based on ensuring there is enough military support in the region to
   respond to any protest problems if needed.

   McCarthy said he received notice of the Pentagon order to send about
   200 soldiers with the 82nd Airborne's immediate response force home
   just after 10 a.m. Wednesday. Hours later, the Pentagon notified him
   that Esper had reversed the decision.

   The move to keep the troops in the region, however, comes as Pentagon
   leaders continue to insist they do not want to use active-duty forces
   to help quell the protests.

   Earlier in the day, Esper had tamped down threats from Trump about
   sending troops to "dominate" the streets, telling reporters at a
   Pentagon news conference that he opposes using military forces for law
   enforcement in containing the current street protests.

   Active-duty troops should be used in the U.S. "only in the most urgent
   and dire of situations," He said, adding, "We are not in one of those
   situations now."

   "It is our intent at this point not to bring in active forces, we don't
   think we need them at this point," McCarthy said in an interview with
   The Associated Press. "But it's prudent to have the reserve capability
   in the queue, on a short string."

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