Overview

• A National Guard statement says deployed personnel were told they may carry service weapons solely in response to an imminent threat.
• Roughly 2,000 to 2,300 troops are widely reported to be doing landscaping, trash removal, and other maintenance across the capital.
• A Park Service official told the Washington Post that staffing for D.C. grounds fell from about 200 workers to roughly 20, contributing to the custodial gap now filled by Guard units.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s emphasis on restoring a warfighting ethos and “lethality” has drawn criticism as troops are assigned to rake, mulch, and clean public spaces.
• Legal and civil-liberties experts, including the Brennan Center’s Liza Goitein, warn that visible beautification by armed troops normalizes force and serves political theater in the nation’s capital.