Head of Trump’s LA Deployment Asks to Return Troops to Firefighting Duty

Northern Command’s top general requested 200 of the troops be reassigned back to Joint Task Force Rattlesnake, the California National Guard’s wildfire unit.

Troops on deployment in Los Angeles
Caylo Seals/Sipa USA via AP

The top military commander in charge of the National Guard troops President Donald Trump deployed to Los Angeles to respond to protests against the administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement is requesting a portion of the forces return to wildfire fighting duty.

Northern Command head, Gen. Gregory Guillot, submitted a request to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth that 200 of the troops be reassigned back to Joint Task Force Rattlesnake, which is the California National Guard’s wildfire unit, a U.S. official told NOTUS on Monday.

The news was first reported by the Associated Press on Monday. It remains unclear how soon the Pentagon will respond to the request.