Military police patrol a shopping street in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC, on October 29, 2025. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

The Pentagon is moving forward on orders from President Donald Trump to build a National Guard quick reaction force in each state for domestic use, though two US officials say the effort is largely making incremental changes to a mission the Guard already undertakes.

Trump ordered that the Pentagon “ensure the availability of a standing National Guard quick reaction force that shall be resourced, trained, and available for rapid nationwide deployment,” in an August executive order .

But the two officials said those reaction forces already exist.

“This whole thing – we’re already doing it,” one of the US officials said. “This is just updated guidance

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