Newsweek: Joint Task Force National Capital Region Was Activated on March 16th

Let me start off by saying that I am not posting this article to fear monger or build some elaborate Deep State plot against Trump (even though we know that the Deep State exists). Rather, I found it very fascinating that Newsweek has churned out two articles of a similar nature almost exactly a month apart (the second article is linked below). This may not necessarily be new knowledge but it is the most comprehensive article I have seen in recent days on the planning going on in Washington D.C.

I can’t tell if they are trying to elevate the level of crisis and panic in people’s minds (most likely) or conditioning the population to understand and accept something that is coming (certainly a possibility as well).

You should use your critical thinking skills and decide for yourself.


Yesterday, Newsweek ran an article that I haven’t really seen talked about much elsewhere. It was titled “Exclusive: As Washington DC Faces Coronavirus Spike, Secret Military Task Force Prepares to Secure the Capital“. The article detailed how the DC Mayor extended the State of Emergency by one month as they expect a rise in COVID-19 cases that could cripple the government. This meant that the Joint Task Force National Capital Region (JTF-NCR) would come into play. As per Newsweek (bolded parts by me for emphasis):

But a little-known military task force charged with evacuating Washington has already been activated, a task force charged with the most sensitive government mission of “securing” Washington in the face of attackers, foreign and domestic—and if necessary, moving White House and other key government offices to alternate locations.

Activated on March 16, Joint Task Force National Capital Region (JTF-NCR) is chartered to “defend” Washington on land, in the air, and even on its waterfronts. The special task force, the only one of its kind in the country, demonstrates how there are two sides of government preparedness. The public face, and even the day-to-day work of most men and women assigned to JTF-NCR, is the same as it is everywhere else in the country—medical support, delivering supplies, manning health-check stations.

But behind the scenes, JTF-NCR is responsible for what the military calls “homeland defense”: what to do in the face of an armed attack on the United States, everything from guarding Washington’s skies to preparing for the civil unrest that could occur if a nuclear weapon were detonated in the capital. But most immediate, JTF-NCR is charged with facilitating continuity of government, particularly moving civil and military leaders to secret locations were the order given to evacuate the city.

Much like a previous article NC Scout highlighted here on Radio Contra, the podcast of American Partisan, Continuity of Government (COG) pops up again. The article goes on to state that:

Ever since National Guards started to activate countrywide, Pentagon officials have insisted that men and women in uniform are not conducting secret missions and that they will not administer or enforce “stay at home” quarantines. The Pentagon has also rejected reports, including articles in Newsweek, about martial law or other extreme contingency plans, arguing that the Guard remains under strict control of state governors, while federal troops support civil agencies like FEMA.

An op-ed highlighted by Sam Culper here at American Partisan and originally penned by General John Allen suggested that state and military officials prepare the National Guard to back fill US Law Enforcement. This suggestion seems to fly in the face of the Pentagon’s arguments against doing so, but I digress.

National Guardsmen man a roadblock in 2017

However, these JTF-NCR troops are in a unique position. While all of the other National Guardsmen we currently have heard about are activated under Title 32, which means they are under control of the governor’s but funded by the federal government, the JTF-NCR are activated under Title 10 orders, meaning they are controlled by the federal government. These are the same orders that would be used to ship a National Guard unit overseas.

[Cpt. Adam Kowalski] and his fellow officers have been studying the Joint Emergency Evacuation Plan (JEEP), the national plan to move Defense Department officials to alternative locations outside the Washington area. JEEP is not the only plan. It is supplemented by Atlas as well, which designates the procedures for the movement of civilian leaders, called “Enduring Constitutional Government,” ensuring the survival of the legislature and the judiciary. And above JEEP and Atlas are the highly classified Octagon, Freejack and Zodiac plans that deal with other emergencies, and the movement of the White House and other presidential successors.

What is interesting is the order in which the plans are listed by the authors. The first plan mentioned, JEEP, was about moving the Defense Department. The second plan, Atlas, was about “ensuring the survival of the legislature and the judiciary”. Then, while the article notes that the Octagon, Freejack, and Zodiac plans that deal with “other emergencies, and the movement of the White House and other presidential successors” are above JEEP and Atlas, they are listed last in the order

A U.S. Navy F-18 taxis the flight line of the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena, Michigan while U.S. Air Force crew chiefs from the 180th Fighter Wing standby to direct F-16 Fighting Falcons, Aug. 21, 2014. The 180th Fighter Wing deployed to the CRTC to participate Operation Northern Strike, a joint exercise led by the National Guard that demonstrates the combined power of the air and ground forces. (Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Amber Williams/Released)

Several Guard units and Air Force air wings have been practicing aerospace interdiction exercises over the past several weeks.

Most publicly, JTF-NCR now controls the skies over Washington, DC. The operation is called “Noble Eagle” and is the longest-running operation since 9/11, keeping fighter jets within range of Washington airspace on alert, ready to take off with minutes. Fighter pilots on alert for immediate defense are kept in near-isolation, Bloomberg news reported yesterday.

To practice this failsafe mission, less than a week after the Illinois 106th Battalion was mustered, exercise Falcon Virgo commenced in the skies over El Paso, Texas. Over the next five days, small Cessna planes of the Civil Air Patrol—a volunteer auxiliary of the Air Force—flew evasive missions to test the intercept skills of air defenders assigned to another special unit belonging to the Mississippi National Guard. Single-engine CAP airplanes flew mock terrorist strikes to penetrate restricted airspace, an Army range over Ft. Bliss that was gridded out to simulate the airspace of Washington, DC.

During the exercise, old-fashioned radar operators detected the planes and relayed messages to the Mississippi troops, who were armed with surface-to-air missiles capable of shooting them down. All anyone would say was that Falcon Virgo was preparing the Mississippi Guard “for the upcoming deployment in the nation’s capital.”

A second Falcon Virgo exercise had taken place less a week earlier, this one in Washington DC. On March 11, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) announced that Coast Guard helicopters and Civil Air Patrol planes would be operating in the skies over the nation’s capital. The command said NORAD “routinely conducts exercises with a variety of scenarios, including airspace restriction violations, hijackings and responses to unknown aircraft.”

Another Falcon Virgo exercise was over Washington DC on April 7.

Overall, I think that it is interesting to see this so freely discussed alongside the previous article I linked above. I highly recommend that you read the entire article and make your own conclusions.

At best, it is a fascinating look into the process and plans of Continuity of Government, and given the heightened tensions with China and their nuclear abilities, may indeed prove to be useful. The Cessna planes talked about in the exercises could be piloted by South American rebels working with China – a threat that the DOD seems to be taking much more seriously these days. And I do not think any reasonable person can argue against the need for making sure that the government continues to function, particularly if a second strike or invasion occurs after an attack.

But at worst, it is yet another indication that the Deep State is planning to use this crisis to further their power and restrict even more of our civil liberties while removing a duly elected President through some unknown means. This doesn’t mean that you are going to see MRAPs rolling down all of our streets. It does mean that certain aspects are being allowed to get trial runs on a scale not seen since 9/11 and incremental changes and powers can be seized.

I think that an article like this reminds us once more that we need to be vigilant in watching the actions of the federal government and continue with our own training so that, should these powers be used for evil against the American people, we have a recourse available to us. A healthy skepticism, you might say.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments!

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About the Author: Patriotman

Patriotman currently ekes out a survivalist lifestyle in a suburban northeastern state as best as he can. He has varied experience in political science, public policy, biological sciences, and higher education. Proudly Catholic and an Eagle Scout, he has no military experience and thus offers a relatable perspective for the average suburban prepper who is preparing for troubled times on the horizon with less than ideal teams and in less than ideal locations. Brushbeater Store Page: http://bit.ly/BrushbeaterStore

2 Comments

  1. Mas Casa April 17, 2020 at 18:32

    JTF-NCR has always had responsibility for protecting the DC airspace, nothing new there. The Guard pilots, and likely the MANPADS gunners, are on Title 10 orders on case they have to engage an aircraft. Nearly all the support personnel are on Title 32: C2, intel, maintenance.

    The Guard has not been the weekend a month/two weeks a year strategic reserve since Op Iraqi Freedom. They’ve gravitated to an operational reserve where they are more active and pull more orders. Those units have to train too.

    With regard to the Falcon Virgo part, if an Air Guard unit has an alert (aka Noble Eagle) mission, they have to practice intercepts. CAP is a training aid.

    No doubt they would need to activate more Guardsmen to execute any of their continuity of government plans.

    Pieces like this have a lot of info ops value. It messages potential adversaries that we have a plan and not to mess with us. These pieces may also reassure Americans they’re being protected (look for the 60 Minutes piece on Noble Eagle for the Super Bowl). However, the flip side is it risks revealing capabilities to our adversaries and can make people flip out.

    • Patriotman April 17, 2020 at 18:43

      This is a fantastic addendum Mas Casa. It is clear that you have the knowledge base to support your points, and I really thank you for sharing. As a civilian, I found it super interesting that such information was being openly discussed. But to you point, perhaps it is exactly that: a sign that we are ready and not to mess with us. I really find the whole Title 10 specification interesting because I hadn’t thought that operating under a different title would change ROE.

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