AFTER THE RIOTS : Marines to Stand By for Recall

With more than 10,000 U.S. troops being withdrawn from the streets of Los Angeles, the Marine Corps is forming a “rapid-reaction” force that could be redeployed in three hours if violence reignites, Pentagon officials said Tuesday.

Active-duty Army troops have returned to Ft. Ord, but 1,500 Marines will remain on alert at their base at Camp Pendleton near Oceanside, with orders to be ready to move into Los Angeles, said Pentagon spokesman Pete Williams. It is unclear, Williams added, how long that force will remain prepared for such duty.

The force will be composed of Marines from the 1st Light Armored Battalion and the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Marine Regiment, as well as their support units. The Marines, trained to operate in urban settings, would be transported into riot-torn streets in six-wheeled armored vehicles topped by 25-millimeter cannon.

The Marines were chosen for the duty over Army units because they are based closer to Los Angeles, Williams said. If local authorities again seek the protection of federal troops, the Marines could take up duty stations in Los Angeles within three hours of receiving the order to do so. The Army would need more time to travel from Ft. Ord, which is near Monterey, officials added.

The deployment of the Marine task force, should it be required, would be overseen by a 25-person contingent of soldiers and Marines at Los Alamitos, the headquarters for the military’s operations after the riots.

“They will continue to monitor the situation in case active-duty troops are again asked to assist civilian law enforcement agencies,” said Williams. “I can’t tell you for sure how long they will stay there, but they’ll hang around for a little while longer.”