National Guard troops could remain in DC until Fall 2021

The National Guard could stay in Washington, D.C. for the next several months, with an internal email indicating troops could be on the ground in the U.S. capital until Fall 2021, according to a recent report.

An internal communication obtained by local affiliate FOX 5 DC shows the National Security Council has asked the Department of Defense (DoD) to coordinate plans with the U.S. Capitol Police for continued deployment beyond the previously set March date.

Thousands of National Guards troops were scheduled to remain in Washington, D.C. through mid-March, Fox News previously reported. A National Guard spokesperson representing the whole agency told Fox News Monday there were still approximately 6,000 members on duty in D.C.

In the internal email, Robert Salesses, DoD's assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and global security, reportedly wrote:

"If it’s not possible to sustain at the current level with [National Guard] personnel, we need to establish the number of [National Guard] personnel ([D.C. National Guard] and out-of-state) we can sustain for an extended period – at least through Fall 2021 – and understand additional options for providing DoD support, to include use of reserve personnel, as well as active component."