National Guard to support inauguration Published Jan. 15, 2009 ARLINGTON, Va., -- Approximately 10,000 National Guardsmen and women will support the 56th Presidential Inauguration, helping to ensure a safe and secure environment for all attendees. They will provide security, traffic control and crisis response personnel as well as musical units, marching bands, color guards, salute batteries and honor cordons. National Guard members are a force multiplier to a variety of federal and state agencies and military task forces. More than 6,000 National Guard personnel from several states, territories and the District of Columbia are working for Joint Task Force-District of Columbia, providing communications, transportation, traffic control, medical and logistical support - as well as marching in the inaugural parade. The states and territories include West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Kentucky, New York, Iowa, Tennessee and Florida. Nearly 2,200 Virginia and Maryland National Guard personnel are supporting their states' lead law enforcement and transportation agencies with traffic flow in the District of Columbia area. Local militia units, the precursor of today's National Guard, marched with George Washington as he proceeded to his first inauguration on April 30, 1789. The National Guard is proud to continue this tradition of supporting and defending both the President of the United States, our constitutional form of government, and our American way of life.