Features - Page 7

JTF-DC Commander Delivers Holiday Message to the Force
December 20, 2025 — U.S. Army Col. Larry Doane, Joint Task Force - District of Columbia commander, delivers a holiday message to Guardsmen supporting the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission. The message highlights unwavering service, reinforced mission readiness, and dedication to duty. Additionally, the task force also extends heartfelt words of encouragement to U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, and the families of U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and the West Virginia National Guard...

D.C. National Guard Command Team Holiday Message
December 14, 2025 — Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard II, Commanding General (Interim) of the D.C. National Guard; Command Sgt. Maj. Ronald L. Smith, Senior Enlisted Leader; and their spouses deliver a holiday message emphasizing gratitude for service, readiness, and family sacrifice to the D.C. National Guard and Joint Task Force - District of Columbia. This holiday season, they encourage the entire force to focus on connection, gratitude, achievements, and progress...

Brig. Gen. Natasha S. Taylor Reflects on Service, Promotion, and New Role
December 3, 2025 — Brig. Gen. Natasha S. Taylor has built a career defined by service, leadership, and resilience. Qualities she says she plans to now bring to her role as the Director of Joint Staff - Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ), District of Columbia National Guard. She says her recent promotion and new position are less about personal achievements and more about the people who shaped her career...

W.Va. National Guard Soldier dies following D.C. shooting
November 27, 2025 — We are saddened to confirm the death of Army National Guard Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of Summersville, West Virginia. Spc. Beckstrom died Nov. 27, 2025, as a result of a gunshot wound. She was one of the two West Virginia National Guardsmen who were shot near the Farragut Square Metro Station in Washington D.C. on November 26...

DCNG Counterdrug Program Closes Out Fiscal Year 2025 with Historic Impact Across Enforcement, Community Outreach, and Compliance
November 12, 2025 — The District of Columbia National Guard Counterdrug Program concluded Fiscal Year 2025 with historic achievements in drug interdiction support, community outreach, and compliance, solidifying the program’s supporting role in protecting District residents and assisting law enforcement partners across the region...

Veterans Day 2025 Command Message
November 10, 2025 — Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard II, Commanding General (Interim) of the District of Columbia National Guard, reflects on the courage, sacrifice, and dedication of the men and women, past and present, who have worn the uniform of the Armed Forces. Veterans Day serves as a call to action, reminding the public that the freedoms enjoyed by Americans are the result of the sacrifices made by service members, and it highlights the enduring significance of military service...

DC Air National Guard transitions Command Chief
November 10, 2025 — U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Anthony D. Sims assumed responsibility as the District of Columbia Air National Guard state command chief from U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Sean M. Larson during a change of responsibility ceremony at the D.C. Armory Nov. 9, 2025. Sims succeeds Chief Master Sgt. Sean M. Larson, who concludes an extraordinary 39-year career of service...

D.C. National Guard Counterdrug Partners with Ballou STAY Students During Red Ribbon Week
November 1, 2025 — Observed annually during the last week of October, Red Ribbon Week is the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention campaign, honoring Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who was killed in 1985 while investigating a major drug cartel in Mexico. As part of the national Red Ribbon Week campaign, the District of Columbia National Guard Counterdrug Program’s Drug Demand Reduction Outreach (DDRO) team leads a drug-prevention presentation for students at Ballou STAY Opportunity Academy on Oct. 24, 2025...

75 Days Strong — Guard Members Keep the Nation’s Capital Safe and Beautiful
October 28, 2025 — Seventy-five days into the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission, Soldiers and Airmen from across the country continue to serve alongside local law enforcement and community partners to enhance safety, resilience and quality of life throughout the nation’s capital. Since late August, the Joint Task Force - District of Columbia — composed of National Guard units from more than a dozen states — has maintained a visible, professional presence across Washington’s neighborhoods, parks and transit hubs. Their support to the Metropolitan Police Department and District agencies has become a cornerstone of interagency cooperation, demonstrating the Guard’s enduring commitment to the defense and well-being of the American people at home...

D.C. National Guard Welcomes Seventh Command Chief Warrant Officer (CCWO)
October 23, 2025 — The District of Columbia National Guard welcomed its seventh Command Chief Warrant Officer, CW5 Robert Gibson, Sr., assumed responsibility from CW5 Bernard Aguon during a change of responsibility ceremony held at the D.C. Armory. He most recently served as the State Command Chief Warrant Officer for the Florida National Guard...