The Florida state guard established by Ron DeSantis under the guise of a civilian disaster relief force is instead being trained as an armed, combat-ready militia under his personal command, according to military veteran recruits who have quit the program. Sounds like the federal government should intervene. Via Portside.org:
Volunteers have been trained for military combat, including the use of weapons; khaki polo shirts and pants were replaced by camouflage uniforms; and recruits were “barked at” by boot camp instructors at the joint training base who woke them before dawn and imposed lights-out by 10pm.
Additionally, DeSantis’s compliant, Republican-led state legislature has contributed to the change of direction, this year approving a massive expansion in the force’s funding, size and equipment. Its budget increased from $10m to $107.5m, and its maximum size more than tripled from 400 recruits to 1,500.
On the governor’s shopping list were helicopters, boats, police powers and reportedly even cellphone-hacking technology for a force outside of federal jurisdiction, and accountable directly to him.
If only the Florida state legislature wasn't full of businessmen and real estate developers who will rubberstamp anything DeSantis wants. (And people think DeSantis is an improvement over Trump? Hah!)
“The program got hijacked and turned into something that we were trying to stay away from: a militia,” Brian Newhouse, a retired navy veteran with 20 years’ experience, told the reporters.
Newhouse was originally chosen to lead one of the state guard’s three divisions, and said he was removed from the base near Jacksonville on the first day of training after raising his concerns with national guard staff who were acting as instructors.
The abuse allegation, which was the subject of a police inquiry, relates to an incident in which a disabled retired marine captain said he was bundled into a van by national guard staff after he expressed his displeasure at how recruits were being treated.
In a statement, Maj Gen John D Haas, Florida’s adjutant general overseeing the state’s national guard, said the veterans didn't resign but were “dismissed” from the program. He did it was "unfortunate that some of these individuals resorted to complaints to the media.”
“We are aware that some trainees who were removed are dissatisfied. This is to be expected with any course that demands rigor and discipline.”
Haas also seemed to confirm the veterans’ assertion that the state guard’s brief had changed. It was a “military organization”, he said, that will be used for “aiding law enforcement with riots and illegal immigration”.
