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Pentagon Plan Would Keep National Guard in D.C. Through Jan. 20, 2029

Two U.S. officials say the extension awaits Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's sign-off.

Overview

  • The Pentagon says there are no announcements yet but that it remains committed to supporting the president's effort to address crime in the capital.
  • About 2,865 Guard members are currently deployed in Washington, drawn largely from Republican-led states with rotating units from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Oklahoma.
  • Launched in August 2025, the "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful" mission assists local policing with armed patrols and civic work such as trash pickup, landscaping and graffiti removal.
  • The District of Columbia is suing over the long-running federal deployment, as a prior Supreme Court ruling prompted withdrawals from cities like Los Angeles and Chicago under different legal circumstances.
  • Operational strains and risks persist, including the November shooting that killed Spc. Sarah Beckstrom during a patrol and a March KC-135 crash in Iraq that claimed three Ohio Air National Guardsmen among six crew members.