It became apparent in the early days of protests across the nation in June that just because someone was wearing a military uniform didn't mean they were military.
The multicam conflation continues as federal law enforcement officers in Portland, Oregon deploy non-lethal weapons against protesting Americans -- leading to confusion about where and how the military is being activated across the country. And Department of Defense leadership wants to get to the bottom of it.
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"(Secretary of Defense Mark Esper) has expressed his concern that in some cases, law enforcement appropriately performing law enforcement duties were misconstrued as military personnel,” Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said at a Pentagon press briefing on Tuesday. "I don’t have any guidelines from the secretary ... but he has expressed an interest in the topic."
According to Hoffman, the uniform issue was included in the after-action review of the National Guard's response to "civil unrest" across the country at the beginning of June -- a review Esper ordered on June 12 to "specifically evaluate the National Guard’s efforts working with local and federal law enforcement across the country," Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy explained at a press briefing shortly after the announcement of the review.
SecDef orders after-action review of National Guard's 'civil unrest' response
More than 41,500 Guard troops were activated in 33 states in response to "civil unrest" at the beginning of June. The historically high number of activated personnel -- both military and non-military -- meant units and agencies were short on resources and swapping equipment, causing further confusion.
But now, as videos of individuals in military tactical gear in Portland beating protestors and deploying tear gas continue to spread, the DoD has been eager to clarify -- these are not military personnel.
"I can say unequivocally there are no Department of Defense assets that are deployed to or are pending deployment or are looking to deploy to Portland at this time,” Hoffman confirmed Tuesday.
"We want a system where people can tell the difference," he added.
The military is consistently polled as the most trusted public institution in America -- law enforcement officers acting inappropriately while wearing military uniforms threatens that reputation among a civilian population largely unaware of how to differentiate between various government agencies, members of Congress said.
“We find it particularly troubling that in Portland, many of these federal officers have apparently been patrolling the streets in unmarked vehicles and arresting protestors off the street – in some cases without probable cause and without reading their Miranda rights – all while donning what appears to be military uniforms," reads a letter signed by Reps Adam Smith, D-Wash., Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., and Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.
"These alarming actions beg a number of serious questions," the letter continues. "Was it the intent of the Trump Administration to make it seem as though the U.S. military is being deployed to control a U.S. city? Are they completely ignorant about the optics of the situation?"
Some argued that, far from being ignorant, law enforcement agencies are aware of the trust the public generally places in the U.S. military -- and are exploiting it.
"Year after year studies have shown a vast majority of Americans trust U.S. soldiers above judges, TSA and police," Air Force veteran and political strategist Pam Campos-Palma said in a Tweet Wednesday. "The police and right-wing militias cosplaying with military uniforms is a strategic, psychological choice exploiting 'thank you for your service.'"
The Pentagon plans to involve Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf and Attorney General William Barr in its review of the uniform issue, but Hoffman said there is currently "no timeline" on when results will be available.
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