The rioters have been removed from Capitol Hill, the tear gas, pepper spray, and fire extinguisher residue is being cleaned away, and individuals on all sides are looking at the lessons learned – emphasis on “all” sides. The defenders have less than nine days to prepare for the next assault which will itself be informed by what the terrorists learned on January 6.
Adendorff: “They’re counting your guns. Can’t you see that old boy up on the hill? He’s counting your guns. Testing your fire power with the lives of his warriors.”
In addition to time, the preparations face other obstacles. The theft of laptops and the access to
Capitol Hill computers and communication systems during the occupation of the
building means that these systems are compromised. Those responsible for Capitol Hill security
may want to consider avoiding these systems and dig out some old IBM Selectric
III typewriters, use hand carried messages and typewritten documents. Going old tech in this fashion enabled the
Germans to surprise the American troops in the Ardennes Forest in the Battle of
the Bulge. Our codebreakers never caught
a serious whiff of the planning.
My last century National Guard training and ‘related’ experiences emphasized the importance of the display of potential force but exercising it with restraint. This was a missing element on January 6. There were no reserves on hand and none on call. Military history is replete with examples of mistaken reliance on poorly placed reserves too far away to be able to execute a timely and effective intervention.
The element of surprise will be crucial to the coming events, for both defenders and any hopeful terrorists seeking to act out their delusions. Surprise can take many forms. Years ago I was the officer in charge of a small overseas State Department post. Local police informed us that a local student youth group intended to occupy our premises later that day. The authorities would post a police presence at the entrance to the building in which we were located. For ourselves, we had a small suite of offices which were secured against the public by a counter barrier topped with bulletproof glass and doors secured by Simplex locks. I advised our one local hire security officer of our expectations and asked him to take one additional precaution – change the combinations to our Simplex locks and change not just the numbers but the pattern used. We enjoyed a quiet day at the office and our security officer reported (with enjoyment) watching one individual trying to open the doors but failing because he did not know the new number combination or pattern. Surprise! Capitol Hill Police and their supporting agencies will definitely want to be able to ‘run some new plays’ leading up to January 20.
