Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Pentagon Awards Soldier's and Airman's Medals to West Virginia Guard Officers for D.C. Attack Heroism

The honors signal continued federal support for a long-running National Guard mission in the capital.

Overview

  • The Pentagon ceremony Monday at the Hall of Heroes honored Army Maj. Ryan Reynolds and Air Force Maj. Edwin Stanfield for noncombat bravery, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth presiding.
  • Reynolds and Stanfield overpowered Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, after he shot Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and wounded Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe near the White House on Nov. 26.
  • Prosecutors have charged Lakanwal with first-degree murder, assault with intent to kill while armed, and related firearms offenses.
  • Beckstrom’s parents accepted her Purple Heart during February’s State of the Union, and Wolfe continues to recover from his wounds.
  • The West Virginia team was deputized on Nov. 25 to patrol with limited police powers, and about 2,500 Guard troops still serve in D.C. under a mission that outlets report will run through this year and, per ABC News, through Jan. 20, 2029.