GUARD DUTY Shannon M. Smith The Pentagon has approved leaving 5,000 troops deployed indefinitely to protect the U.S. Capitol from domestic extremist threats, down from about 26,000 deployed after the Jan. 6 insurrection. The National Guard is a federally funded reserve force of the U.S. Army or Air Force based in states. These part-time citizen soldiers typically hold civilian jobs but can be activated by governors or the president to respond to natural disasters, health emergencies or violent protests, or to support military operations overseas. Although many are skeptical of any military response to civilian unrest, the National Guard is widely seen as a reliable peacekeeping force.