The Illinois National Guard has deployed combat vehicles in the streets of Springfield which went into effect as of this week.
Staff Sgt. Daniel Becker told the AP that people shouldn’t be afraid.
“No, they shouldn’t be afraid — they need to let the idea sink in that it is normal for armed troops to be on the streets. After they get used to military vehicles on the roads, they will need to get accustomed to military checkpoints like the ones in Iraq and Afghanistan.”