National Guard troops help D.C. residents with chores and curb appeal
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National Guard members weed an area as they clean up a park in D.C. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
Carrying groceries, picking up trash and changing tires may not seem like typical National Guard duties, but it's what some troops are doing during their deployment in D.C.
The big picture: Although President Trump's 30-day takeover of the D.C. police has ended, National Guard troops will remain in the city through at least the end of November.
- This is estimated to cost taxpayers roughly $200 million — or more than $1.8 million a day, reports USA Today. That figure doesn't include the price of deploying troops from additional states.
Why it matters: Trump's administration has described D.C. as overrun with crime and in desperate need of an intervention. But with violent crime declining, many locals have questioned whether the flood of troops is necessary — sharing footage of them lingering around the city.
- A review of internal documents by the Post found that some troops and veterans felt a sense of "shame" about the deployment to D.C.
State of play: There are around 2,500 guard members stationed throughout D.C., says a spokesperson for the National Guard's Joint Task Force-D.C. They're not authorized to make arrests, but they've detained people until police have arrived, broken up fights, assisted older folks, and helped find a missing child.
- They're tasked with things like patrolling alongside D.C. police and helping federal agents address violent crime, per the spokesperson.
- They've also coordinated more than 40 D.C. cleanup projects via "Task Force Beautification," which includes activities like hosing down graffiti, gathering trash, mulching, painting fences and replanting grass, per the spokesperson. (Yes, the "National Gardeners" joke has been made.)
- Plus, the guard has reached out to advisory neighborhood commissions to offer help with area cleanup as a way to build rapport with locals — an offer one group in Ward 8 accepted.
- "We believe a clean and well-maintained environment contributes to overall community well-being and can indirectly deter crime," the spokesperson says.
Meanwhile, some troops are helping locals with everyday tasks.
- One TikToker posted about asking guard members to carry groceries to their car, saying, "It's our tax dollars at work!"
- Another Reddit user posted a picture of troops helping someone change a car tire.
What they're saying: While the National Guard spokesperson couldn't comment on these interactions, they're aware some troops have "engaged positively" with locals.
- A "guardsman acting on their own initiative to help someone in need would be consistent with our values," they told Axios.
What's not in their job description: Generating content. And yet troops have starred as backdrops for viral TikTok trends or thirst trap posts.
- One user is following the troops around while blasting the "Imperial March" from "Star Wars" (aka Darth Vader's theme song).
What's ahead: White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers tells Axios that the National Guard is sticking around D.C. "to ensure the long-term success of the federal operations to deter violent crime."
- But if social media is any indication, locals will continue to find new "missions" for the troops.
- A recent Reddit thread implored them to help with D.C.'s most invasive threat: lanternflies.