# Troops sent to Los Angeles-Housing **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 10, 2025, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406 "2025-06-10T02:12:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/122 "2025-06-11T21:27:51Z")
The whole thing is a “need to know” thing. Simple logistical needs of the troops are not my business. So, I “dont need to know” and they are not publishing that info. We can bat it around for days. By that time the whole place is gonna be one big clean-up problem. A pile of a Marines poo is not gonna be a humongous issue. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/123 "2025-06-11T21:44:43Z")
Perhaps not a pile of a single Marine’s poo but what about that of _hundreds_ of Marines? ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/124 "2025-06-11T22:02:48Z")
Stable genius: “Well, if they are not feeding them this won’t be a problem!” ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/125 "2025-06-11T22:03:41Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Perhaps not a pile of a single Marine’s poo but what about that of _hundreds_ of Marines? Again. There are normally _hundreds_ of people on every floor of every office building downtown. The added bodies are a drop in the ocean. I wouldn’t be surprised if the number of workers and normal visitors staying away right now is more than the total number of protestors, police, and military in the area. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/126 "2025-06-11T23:14:38Z")
Since the first amendment is toast, why not toss out the 3rd? ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/127 "2025-06-11T23:21:02Z")
Didn’t this exact same thing happen with the National Guard after January 8th? I remember news articles talking about National Guard soldiers all sleeping in the hallwaya of the Capitol building. ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/128 "2025-06-11T23:24:52Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > They are trained military. Surely they can rough it a night or 3. A night or three? It’s been reported that they will be deployed for [60 days](https://www.scrippsnews.com/us-news/military/marines-national-guard-deployment-to-la-will-cost-134-million-official-say). > U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says the California National Guard and Marines will remain deployed in Los Angeles for about two months to help “maintain the peace” following days of — sometimes violent — protests against federal immigration crackdowns. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/129 "2025-06-12T05:04:23Z")
> [@Disinfectus](#): > > > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > > > They are trained military. Surely they can rough it a night or 3. > > A night or three? It’s been reported that they will be deployed for [60 days](https://www.scrippsnews.com/us-news/military/marines-national-guard-deployment-to-la-will-cost-134-million-official-say). > > > U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says the California National Guard and Marines will remain deployed in Los Angeles for about two months to help “maintain the peace” following days of — sometimes violent — protests against federal immigration crackdowns. I guarantee they will be put on 29 day orders. That doesn’t mean they go home in 29 days. They will get a new set of 29 day orders when the first ends. Full BAH (housing allowance) kicks in at 30 days. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/130 "2025-06-12T05:13:14Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I think the issue here isn’t that the military can’t competently deploy quickly. Parts of it absolutely can. > > But that “quickly” is usually on the order of 18-24 hours for the _very_ fastest troops, which are usually light infantry/paratroopers who would basically carry everything they’d need for some relatively short amount of time without support- maybe a week or so? > > And that 18 hours was historically a single battalion (~650 men), with a brigade (3-5k soldiers) taking 24 for the old “Rapid Deployment Force” of the 1980s and 1990s. > > And those were units that were specifically detailed to be available that quickly. IIRC they were rotated out of that alert status periodically. > > That’s the thing here; the National Guard isn’t typically working on time frames of hours- usually it’s days for natural disasters, and they typically deploy the closer units first, or pre-stage them in events like hurricanes. > > Neither the regular military nor the NG are structured or typically expected to deploy in such a short time frame as what we saw in Los Angeles. Doesn’t mean they’re incompetent, just operating outside their playbook and probably making a lot up as they go along. All very well said. > [@hajario](#): > > > [@Chronos](#): > > > > Except that they can’t set up what they don’t have, and they weren’t deployed with porta-potties. Nor with any of the other logistics they should have. > > I could make one phone call and have a slew of rental porta potties delivered in a few hours. That’s a very generous donation. Having it quickly set up for the government to pay for it is another matter. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/131 "2025-06-12T05:25:09Z")
Rapid deployment can set up encampments in hours. Who really knows how long they’ll be there? Shit gets said on the news. Talking heads spout nonsense. Trump has not one clue how any of this stuff works. As soon as he’s bored it’ll be over. On to the next. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/132 "2025-06-12T05:41:17Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > As soon as he’s bored it’ll be over. Two things (I think): 1 - This is Trump wagging the dog. He needed a distraction from the Musk kerfuffle. 2 - It is another (of many) ways Trump pushes to see what he can get away with. And he is getting away with this nonsense. He’s literally making things worse and that is the plan. That is his goal. Now he knows he can do this with no real repercussions to him. That’s not good for the country. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/133 "2025-06-12T06:58:26Z")
Yes..I said the very thing upthread. But, remember he just thinks he’s an evil mastermind. Mostly he is a whiny toddler with poopy pants. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/134 "2025-06-12T07:44:27Z")
…holding a machine gun. Underestimating his dangerousness is how got where he is today. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/135 "2025-06-12T12:39:21Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > > > As soon as he’s bored it’ll be over. > > Two things (I think): > > 1 - This is Trump wagging the dog. He needed a distraction from the Musk kerfuffle. > > 2 - It is another (of many) ways Trump pushes to see what he can get away with. And he is getting away with this nonsense. He’s literally making things worse and that is the plan. That is his goal. Now he knows he can do this with no real repercussions to him. That’s not good for the country. I think you are giving him way too much credit. He’s not that clever. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/136 "2025-06-12T12:52:25Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I guarantee they will be put on 29 day orders. That doesn’t mean they go home in 29 days. They will get a new set of 29 day orders when the first ends. Full BAH (housing allowance) kicks in at 30 days. There isn’t a rule that stacking 29-day orders like that counts as a 58-day order? ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/137 "2025-06-12T14:10:30Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I think you are giving him way too much credit. He’s not that clever Some of the people behind him are. Evil, but clever. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/138 "2025-06-12T16:31:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > > [@Loach](#): > > > > I guarantee they will be put on 29 day orders. That doesn’t mean they go home in 29 days. They will get a new set of 29 day orders when the first ends. Full BAH (housing allowance) kicks in at 30 days. > > There isn’t a rule that stacking 29-day orders like that counts as a 58-day order? No there isn’t. I’ve had it done to me. ETA: I would like to see what those orders say. I’ve been screwed more during state call ups than federal activations. My first deployment my orders said up to 18 months. It turned out to be 12. I had one stint of state active duty for Noble Eagle that had orders for each day you worked. If I gave my guys a day off they didn’t get paid. Pay got really screwed up with that one. > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > > [@Loach](#): > > > > I think you are giving him way too much credit. He’s not that clever > > Some of the people behind him are. > > Evil, but clever. I don’t think it goes beyond Trump wanting to show those blue mayors and governors what a real man does with unrest. Since it’s federal law enforcement and facilities involved he has the excuse he didn’t have during BLM. It’s always a mistake to not look at ego first when analyzing Trump’s actions. Those behind him then use it to their advantage. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/139 "2025-06-12T16:46:21Z")
I dunno if this will change anything but it is worth noting: > **[Troops and marines deeply troubled by LA deployment: ‘Morale is not great’](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/12/los-angeles-national-guard-troops-marines-morale)** > > Several service members told advocacy groups they felt like pawns in a political game and assignment was not necessary > California national guards troops and marines deployed to Los Angeles to help restore order after days of protest against the Trump administration have told friends and family members they are deeply unhappy about the assignment and worry their only meaningful role will be as pawns in a political battle they do not want to join. > > Three different advocacy organisations representing military families said they had heard from dozens of affected service members who expressed discomfort about being drawn into a domestic policing operation outside their normal field of operations. The groups said they have heard no countervailing opinions. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/140 "2025-06-12T17:58:23Z")
[quote=“Loach, post:138, topic:1019406”] It’s always a mistake to not look at ego first when analyzing Trump’s actions. Those behind him then use it to their advantage. [/quote] Yup, exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406/141 "2025-06-12T18:10:25Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Except that they can’t set up what they don’t have, and they weren’t deployed with porta-potties. I’m not picturing camo porta-potties instead of the usual blue. 😆 > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > Perhaps not a pile of a single Marine’s poo but what about that of _hundreds_ of Marines? > > Again. There are normally _hundreds_ of people on every floor of every office building downtown. for 8 hrs 5 days a week, not 24x7. How quickly can GSA spool up extra deliveries of paper supplies? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troops-sent-to-los-angeles-housing/1019406.md?page=8)