Overview

• Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard II assumed interim command of the DC National Guard on August 9 following Maj. Gen. John C. Andonie’s retirement during a ceremony at DAR Constitution Hall.
• The DCNG remains the only National Guard unit under direct presidential authority, balancing federal wartime readiness with support for District emergencies.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Guard members will arrive throughout the week to uphold the newly declared federal public safety emergency in Washington, D.C.
• No timeline has been set for naming a permanent commanding general, leaving Brig. Gen. Blanchard in charge until a successor is chosen.
• Andonie highlighted a shift back to the unit’s wartime mission with recent multi-echelon training events and an Air Wing exercise in the Pacific.