Senator Tammy Duckworth, a former Blackhawk pilot with the Illinois National Guard, wants information on the investigation into the low-flying D.C. National Guard helicopters of June 1.
During one of the earliest days of protests over the killing of George Floyd, helicopters with D.C. National Guard were reportedly ordered by Trump administration officials to fly low over protestors to display a "show of force." Esper says he directed the Secretary of the Army to launch an investigation within hours of the incident in order to determine exactly what the DCNG crafts were doing and who ordered them to do so.
More than two weeks later, no information from that investigation has been released -- and the Senator is tired of waiting.
"I flew Blackhawks in a war zone and I was never trained or allowed to fly at such low altitudes over civilians,” Duckworth said in a release. “I am outraged that this administration would try to intimidate peaceful protesters exercising their First Amendment rights by battering them with rotor wash and flying debris from military helicopters hovering at dangerously low altitudes.”
This week, Duckworth sent letters to the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration. She also spoke with Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy.
“I had a productive call with Secretary McCarthy, where I expressed my deep concern about the use of low-flying military helicopters to suppress crowds of peaceful protesters who were exercising their First Amendment rights and calling out for justice for Black Americans," Duckworth said in a Tuesday release. "I reiterated my call for an investigation into this incident so we can get to the bottom of it and answer the questions: who gave those orders and why?"
In addition to these inquiries, Duckworth also requested information on what laws, regulations, or policies may have been violated by the order as well as what damage to property or injuries were sustained during the incident.
Neither McCarthy nor Maj. Gen. William Walker, commander of the D.C. National Guard, took responsibility for authorizing the low flight.
Duckworth lost both of her legs in Iraq when her helicopter was shot down by enemy fire in 2004. She expects the FAA and DoD to respond to her inquiries on this matter before June 30.
--