Governor Patrick Morrisey (right) and West Virginia Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Jim Seward hold a press conference at the State Capitol in Charleston, West Virginia, on December 1, 2025, to provide an update on National Guard members in Washington, DC (Photo courtesy of Governor Patrick Morrisey’s West Virginia Office).
Members of the West Virginia National Guard will remain stationed in Washington, D.C., through the end of 2026 to support President Donald Trump’s mission to “restore cleanliness and safety” to the city, Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Tuesday.
“President Trump’s leadership in prioritizing the security of our nation’s capital has made this vital mission possible, and our brave Guardsmen are proud to volunteer and make Washington, DC safer and stronger.” Morrisey said in a press release. “The men and women of the West Virginia National Guard stand firmly with President Trump in this effort, and we are honored to support his commitment to public safety.”
Morrisey between 300 and 400 members The National Guard will travel to the nation’s capital in August 2025 to participate in Trump’s initiative. As of: December 2025, approx 170 Guard members remained in D.C. on a voluntary basis, Morrisey said.
On November 26, 2025, two members of the The West Virginia National Guardsmen were shot Law enforcement called this a “targeted” attack. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of Webster Springs, died of her wounds The next day. U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, of Martinsburg, survived the attack and recovers.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, was charged with murder and other charges over the attack. He pleaded not guilty.
The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia has challenged the deployment in court. In November 2025, Kanawha County Circuit Court Judge Richard Lindsay ruled dismissed the lawsuit, It ruled that the deployment was legal because Trump had called on states to send their National Guard members to Washington DC
More than 2,000 troops from at least 11 Republican-led states and the District were deployed to D.C. in August, and hundreds more arrived after the attack. according to NPR. In December, a federal appeals court in Washington DC ruled this Troops can remain in Washington, DC, while a panel of judges considers whether the deployment ordered by Trump is legal. according to NPR’s report.
In a statement Tuesday, West Virginia’s adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Jim Seward, said the mission “reflects the high level of readiness and professionalism of the West Virginia National Guard.”
“Our men and women are well-trained, ready to serve wherever they are called, and trusted to carry out any task,” Seward said. “I’m proud to work with them and proud of the way they represent our state.”
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