Washington National Guard commissions first-ever security boat

The District of Columbia’s National Guard has commissioned its first maritime security vessel, extending the Guard’s security capabilities from Washington’s streets to its waterways.

The National Guard’s 260th Special Purpose Brigade partnered with the U.S. Navy to commission the vessel, the Guard said in a July 11 news release. The brigade is a new unit within the Washington National Guard, which was activated in March to address President Donald Trump’s executive order for addressing crime in Washington.

This is the first time that an Army unit will use a dedicated water vessel in Washington waterways, the Guard said in the release. The district is bordered on two sides by the Potomac and Anacostia rivers.

“This new maritime capability is more than a vessel — it is an investment in the partnerships, readiness and modern capabilities that enable us to better support the local, state, and federal agencies that protect our nation’s capital every day,” U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard II, interim commander of the Washington National Guard, said in the release.

The Special Purpose Brigade’s vessels will be used to augment security by the district’s Metropolitan Police Department’s Harbor Patrol during events where national security could be a potential target for terrorism, such as the Fourth of July, according to the release. This Fourth of July, the unit worked with federal partners to provide traffic control, crowd management and medical support.

The Metropolitan Police Department referred all questions to the Washington National Guard, who did not reply to emails Wednesday asking about the new vessel.

“We’re not replacing law enforcement — we’re increasing their capacity. When the District needs more eyes, more reach, more resilience, that’s where we come in,” U.S. Army Col. Larry Doane, the commander of the Special Purpose Brigade, said in the release.

The new vessel allows the unit to conduct hazard detection and identify potential security threats in Washington’s waterways, according to the release. National Guard members performed maintenance checks on the vessel July 8, according to photos posted to the military’s visual information distribution service.

Four more vessels are planned, adding to a fleet of light medium tactical vehicles, heavy tactical vehicles and ultra-light tactical vehicles used by the unit.

The National Guard did not reply to emails Wednesday about the estimated delivery of the remaining vessels.