Overview

• A National Guard official said D.C. Guard troops have been given orders through December to protect continuity of pay and benefits.
• The extension does not guarantee all 950 deployed D.C. Guard members will serve until December, but it signals the mission is not winding down.
• About 1,300 additional Guard troops from West Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Tennessee remain in Washington with end dates set by their governors.
• Joint Task Force–D.C. acknowledged concerns over pay and benefits and said most service members are on orders longer than 30 days, with leaders preparing guidance on leave and time off.
• Critics question the scope of the deployment and note troops have performed tasks such as trash pickup and groundskeeping, raising readiness concerns among some enlisted leaders.