Normally the president does not have direct authority over local National Guard units, unless a governor makes a request for federal intervention. Thus, communication between state, federal and local authorities needs to follow a very carefully prescribed chain of command.
Part of the reason for this is the Posse Comitatus Act. Enacted after the Civil War, the Act was intended to end the federal occupation of the Southern (formerly) Confederate states and prevent future situations like the one that existed within the formerly Confederate South (where federal troops constituted an occupational government that threatened the Southern way of life). as a result of the Act, U.S. Troops have not normally been able to assist in or carry out domestic law enforcement within the United States (outside of military bases and reservations) without potentially running afoul of the Posse Comitatus Act.
The Act provides for criminal penalties for officers and troops that run afoul of the Act’s broad provisions. The exercise of being aware and discussing how to maintain our way of life is important. Perhaps it is time to deputize and train some of the troops so that they can be prepared to react to violence on the streets. Soldiers can obtain concealed carry licenses on their own but often get transfers that put them in various jurisdictions where their CCL is of no use. Perhaps a federal CCL that is good in all states may be desirable for soldiers that meet certain qualifications.
Our most important responsibility is to call attention to issues that threaten the lives of U.S. citizens. Are you paying attention to everything happening around you when you are stopped at that red light on the way home? Or are you just looking at the car in front of you? The reason that the U.S. military is restricted from undertaking day to day domestic security precautions is because the issue of security within our borders belongs to the civilians and to local law enforcement.
