Army Spc. Brandon Smith provides security at the start of the 2014 Boston Marathon in Hopkinton, Mass., April 21, 2014. About 800 Massachusetts National Guardsmen assisted local authorities to ensure the event would be as safe as realistically possible. Due to a record number of runners, Guardsmen from numerous states augmented the Massachusetts Guard's specialized units. Smith is assigned to the Rhode Island Army National Guard's 169th Military Police Company.