Guard Troops Will Wear A Special Patch At Trump's Inauguration To Make It Clear They Aren't Police

When thousands of National Guard forces and law enforcement officers locked down Washington during racial protests and the Jan. 6 riot four years ago , the blur of camouflage and helmets made it nearly impossible to tell the difference between cops and troops.

This year's inauguration will be different.

National Guard leaders have authorized the use of a special shoulder patch with the Guard motto "Always Ready, Always There," to ensure that people coming to the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on Monday will know who is who.

"It is to make sure it's easier to identify who's participating for the National Guard," said Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard II, adjutant general of the Washington, D.C., Guard. The patch, he added, will "connect each of the participants from the National Guard back to the mission set, back to what they're doing and the importance of participating in this peaceful transition."

The new red, white and blue patch also depicts a minuteman, long a symbol of the Guard that harkens back to the Revolutionary War. The key, said Army Col. Larry Doane, a senior Guard leader, was to provide a visible way to distinguish the troops.