It was nearly two weeks ago that President Donald Trump declared a crime emergency and ordered that hundreds of D.C. National Guard troops be mobilized and deployed to participate in a crackdown on crime in the nation's capital city, and, for the most part, those troops have largely been unarmed while serving in support roles.

That is about to change, though, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly authorized the troops patrolling Washington, D.C.'s streets to carry their service-issued sidearm, according to CNN.

The order comes as the few hundred initially deployed D.C. National Guard troops begin to be bolstered by the addition of nearly 2,000 more National Guard troops mobilized and deployed for service in the nation's capital city by the governors of their respective states, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

Troops will now be armed

CNN reported that an unnamed Defense official said, "At the direction of the Secretary of Defense, (Joint Task Force) JTF-DC members supporting the mission to lower the crime rate in our Nation’s capital will soon be on mission with their service-issued weapons, consistent with their mission and training."

The official added, "The D.C. National Guard remains committed to safeguarding the District of Columbia and serving those who live, work, and visit the District."

Until now, the outlet noted, previous guidance from the Pentagon authorized the troops to be armed only "if the circumstances warranted," which meant that most remained unarmed while serving in various roles supporting the local Metropolitan Police Department and other federal law enforcement agencies that are participating in the Trump-ordered crackdown on street crime.

Troops will take on some law enforcement duties

CNN's report about the National Guard troops being armed was subsequently confirmed by ABC News, which reported that the military-standard M17 sidearms were "intended for personal protection" as the troops transitioned from serving strictly in support roles to carrying out some law enforcement duties.

It was noted that the troops are operating under what is known as Title 32 status, which provides an exemption to the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which generally bars the federal use of military troops for law enforcement purposes, since the Guard soldiers are technically still under the command of their respective state governors while the federal government pays all expenses of the deployment.

"This decision is not something taken lightly," U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard, III, the commanding officer of the D.C. National Guard, said of the changes. "We are in coordination with our law enforcement partners and all appropriate review processes in place."

As of now, with the addition of the extra troops from the six Republican-controlled states that heeded a call for support from the president, there are nearly 2,300 National Guard troops helping in the mission to reduce street crime in D.C. substantially.

Hegseth thanks the troops for their sacrifice and service

Just one day before the order went out to authorize the troops to be armed, Secretary Hegseth and three senior Defense officials, all of whom currently or previously have served with the D.C. National Guard, including Hegseth as an Army major during the efforts to quell the 2020 anti-police riots in the nation's capital city, paid a visit to around 300 of the mobilized Guardsmen at the D.C. Armory on Thursday.

"Myself and these three gentlemen," the secretary told the soldiers, "can't often say that we've almost literally been in your boots; and now we're in position where we want to make sure we're setting all of you up for success because the nation's eyes are on you -- every single one of you."

Noting his conversations over the past week with members of the local and federal law enforcement agencies the troops are supporting, Hegseth said, "When I talk to them, they thank God for the arrival of the National Guard because of the capabilities and expertise that you bring."

He further referenced his discussions with some of the deployed troops and added of the sacrifices they are making, "So, thank you for what you're doing. I know you're away from your families, your spouses, your kids as a result [of the mobilization], but I think you're on the frontlines of safeguarding our nation and setting an example for the country."