Patrolling DC National Guard soldiers now armed with rifles, pistols

By Alvin Wu
Domestic Affairs
Patrolling DC National Guard soldiers now armed with rifles, pistols

Soldiers from the West Virginia National Guard, armed with M4 rifles and M17 pistols, patrol around the Washington Monument on Tuesday, Aug. 26. ZFJ/Alvin Wu

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28 (ZFJ) — National Guard soldiers patrolling D.C. as part of President Donald Trump’s federal intervention and declared crime emergency are now armed with rifles and pistols.

Media reports indicated that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered that the guardsmen be armed in a directive announced by the Pentagon on Friday, Aug. 22. Prior to the order, the guardsmen were not armed, and the Pentagon declined to comment further on the topic.

A statement from Joint Task Force-District of Columbia (JTF-DC) says that the soldiers are armed with M17 pistols. ZFJ editor-in-chief Alvin Wu saw members of the West Virginia National Guard carrying M4 rifles and M17 pistols patrolling around the Washington Monument on Tuesday, Aug. 26.

An Associated Press report says that the troops are under strict rules for the use of force and may use their firearms “only as a last resort and solely in response to an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm.”

The JTF-DC statement says that the decision to arm the troops was made after “careful consideration of the security environment.” Trump administration officials have repeatedly touted arrests made during the federal intervention, saying that the military deployment and federal agent surge has significantly reduced crime in the district, and some soldiers have recently been assigned to “beautification” projects that involve picking up garbage.

U.S. Army Col. Larry Doane, JTF-DC commander, said in a Guard social media video that the firearms are only for security.

“This really doesn’t change anything about our mission,” he said. “So, we are here to continue to provide support to our law enforcement partners. We’re here for the safety and security of everyone.”

“The only thing that changes about that is we have a weapon and that weapon is only for the defense of myself, my partners, my law enforcement partners, or anyone else around.”

Replying to a news article about the troops being armed on X, Hegseth wrote, “Common Sense.”

Over 2,000 guardsmen from D.C. and six Republican states are currently deployed in the district and will remain until the president determines that the state of emergency is over. Hundreds of federal agents have also been participating in the operation, as well as the federalized local Metropolitan Police.

Guardsmen have been spotted around the National Mall, Union Station, and numerous Washington Metro stations. Wu saw two guardsmen stationed in Federal Triangle station on Tuesday.

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