Highlights of Democratic Convention Security
— -- The US military has "a full array of different components" deployed to Boston for assisting the Secret Service with security for the convention.
That includes NORAD fighter jets flying 24-hour patrols, National Guard troops on the streets, and presumably some special operations soldiers skulking around.
The U.S. military elements in Joint Task Force-DNC (aka JTF-DNC) are headquartered from an undisclosed location at or near the Secret Service command center.
The Secret Service requested the assistance from Northern Command, which controls U.S. forces deployed in North America. Active-duty and reserve forces on this mission are commanded by Massachusetts National Guard Brig. Gen. Gary Pappas.
NORTHCOM says the forces are deployed to provide "assistance, security support and consequence management planning."
Beyond that, officials are very tight-lipped about the mission. They refuse to put a number of how many troops are part of the task force.
The NY Post this weekend reported that undercover special ops forces are already on the ground in NYC: "The stinking derelict you have to step over on the subway platform may actually be a well-trained commando on a secret mission to keep you safe. A team of elite Delta Force, Navy SEALS and Air Force operatives has been prowling the city streets in elaborate disguise to tighten up the city's security before the Republican convention, The Post has learned."
An official quoted as confirming this story to the Post told ABC News he never confirmed it: "I have no knowledge of any special operations forces on the ground in New York or Boston."
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