I thought the Guard always carried weapons, just unloaded and without ammo, although when I was in the guard some us carried a loaded magazine hidden on us.
Carrying around an M-16 without the ability to protect it from robbers is bad, but it is doubly bad for Guard sent to restore order in crime ravaged and riot torn cities, at one time the unloaded symbol of authority might have been enough, but in post immigration America, the bad guys are well aware that guardsmen are walking around with valuable rifles which are there for the taking.
Carrying around an M-16 without the ability to protect it from robbers is bad, but in post immigration America, the bad guys are well aware that guardsmen are walking around with valuable rifles which are there for the taking.
Scary.