More exciting news, courtesy of the Army Times:

Beginning Oct. 1 for 12 months, the 1st BCT [Brigade Combat Team] will be under the day-to-day control of U.S. Army North, the Army service component of Northern Command, as an on-call federal response force for natural or manmade emergencies and disasters, including terrorist attacks.

…this new mission marks the first time an active unit has been given a dedicated assignment to NorthCom, a joint command established in 2002 to provide command and control for federal homeland defense efforts and coordinate defense support of civil authorities.

…They may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control or to deal with potentially horrific scenarios such as massive poisoning and chaos in response to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive, or CBRNE, attack.

Aha. Read the part in bold again. Civil unrest and crowd control. To deal with situations of civil unrest and crowd control, we already have local police; county police; state police; SWAT teams; and Federal agents from innumerable agencies including FBI, DEA, ATF, and Homeland Security. They’re already quite adept at crowd control – here they are in action outside the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota last month:

And what sorts of equipment will the 1st BCT be deploying with?

The 1st BCT’s soldiers also will learn how to use “the first ever nonlethal package that the Army has fielded,” 1st BCT commander Col. Roger Cloutier said, referring to crowd and traffic control equipment and nonlethal weapons designed to subdue unruly or dangerous individuals without killing them.

“It’s a new modular package of nonlethal capabilities that they’re fielding. They’ve been using pieces of it in Iraq, but this is the first time that these modules were consolidated and this package fielded, and because of this mission we’re undertaking we were the first to get it.”

The package includes equipment to stand up a hasty road block; spike strips for slowing, stopping or controlling traffic; shields and batons; and, beanbag bullets.

It would seem, to this observer anyway, that we do not want for riot police in this country. So, why the emphasis on fielding a US Army Brigade whose specific mission includes responding to “civil unrest and crowd control” here in “the Homeland”?

Recall that the First Brigade Combat Team is under the direct control of NORTHCOM, and NORTHCOM is directly accountable to the civilian leadership of the Department of Defense, who are appointed and directed by the President.

The deployment of a military force with a policing function inside the United States used to be prohibited. Indeed, the presence of an armed force accountable only to the national executive is a hallmark of repressive regimes from Burma to Zimbabwe.

Am I the only one who fails to be reassured by Col. Cloutier’s closing words?

“I don’t know what America’s overall plan is — I just know that 24 hours a day, seven days a week, there are soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines that are standing by to come and help if they’re called,” Cloutier said. “It makes me feel good as an American to know that my country has dedicated a force to come in and help the people at home.”

Just imagine the kind of “help” they’re going to give “the people at home” with their “shields and batons; and, beanbag bullets” – not to mention some of the other nonlethal weapons in their arsenal.