DC National Guard chief to be relieved of duty as troops are providing security for Trump inauguration

The commanding officer of the Washington, D.C. National Guard has been told that he is to be relieved of his duties. And the timing of his set departure is 12:01 on Inauguration Day, in the middle of the festivities, according to the Washington Post. 

Maj. Gen. Errol R. Schwartz has played a key part in coordinating security for the event and it's not clear why he's been dismissed, according to the Post.

“The timing is extremely unusual,” Schwartz told the paper on Friday. “My troops will be on the street. I’ll see them off but I won’t be able to welcome them back to the armory.”

As Talking Points Memo points out, "Trump's team has also ordered all politically appointed diplomats to leave their posts by Inauguration Day, breaking with tradition of allowing some ambassadors to stay on as their children finish out the school year."

The planning for President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration has been beset with difficulties, most notably the inability to find A-listers willing to perform. Today, the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced that Toby Keith, the band 3 Doors Down, and actor Jon Voigt are among those expected to take part.