One Year of National Guard DC Deployment and Colombia Earthquake Impact

National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., provided 788 medical assists during a one-year deployment focused on crime reduction, according to Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard II, the interim commanding general of the D.C. National Guard. The mission, which began on August 12, 2025, involved approximately 9,700 troops from more than 20 states and territories rotating through the capital.

The deployment followed an August 11, 2025, order from President Donald Trump to crack down on crime, a move that came days after Edward Coristine, a former Department of Government Efficiency employee, was attacked during an attempted carjacking, according to Stars and Stripes.

Medical Assists and Public Safety Interventions

Brig. Gen. Blanchard II reported to reporters on August 3, 2026, that the Guard’s presence extended beyond security to include direct community assistance. In addition to the 788 medical assists, the troops reunited 43 lost children with their families and intervened in 262 altercations to prevent escalation, according to Stars and Stripes.

The mission’s scope included supporting law enforcement 479 times. Guardsmen were stationed across transit hubs like Union Station, federal buildings, monuments, parks, and tourist corridors. While authorized to detain citizens, the troops have no authority to make arrests, Stars and Stripes reported.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized the National Guard to carry weapons during the deployment. Blanchard stated that troops use these weapons only when necessary to preserve human life.

Deployment Costs and Crime Statistics

The financial cost of the deployment is significant. The Congressional Budget Office projected in January that the mission cost approximately $55 million per month, totaling more than $700 million from August 2025 through September 2026, according to Stars and Stripes.

Further projections provided by Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst III to Sen. Elizabeth Warren suggest an additional cost of about $1.43 billion from October 2026 through January 2029, coinciding with the end of President Trump’s term.

The deployment occurred despite existing downward trends in local crime. D.C. police reported that violent crime had decreased by 26% compared to the prior year at the time of the deployment. Additionally, the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that violent crime in 2024 reached a 30-year low, according to Stars and Stripes.

Operational Risks and Casualties

The mission has faced violent incidents. On the day before Thanksgiving in 2025, an Afghan national attacked two West Virginia National Guard members, according to Stars and Stripes.

Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom was shot and killed in the attack, while U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe was wounded. Federal officials and law enforcement described the event as a planned, targeted attack.

Beyond security and medical duties, the Guard’s responsibilities included city maintenance. Stars and Stripes documented Guardsmen performing landscaping work and trash pickup, including cutting grass near the East Potomac Park golf center and removing debris at the Washington Monument on August 26, 2025.