D.C. National Guard troops have orders extended through December, official says

WASHINGTON — District of Columbia National Guard troops who are deployed as part of President Donald Trump’s federal law enforcement intervention in the nation’s capital have had their orders extended through December, a National Guard official said.

The main purpose of the extension is to ensure that any D.C. Guard members out on the streets of Washington will continue to have uninterrupted benefits and pay for a mission that seems likely to persist for months, the official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, said that while the extension doesn’t mean that all 950 D.C. Guard troops now deployed will serve until the end of December, it is a strong indication that their role is not winding down anytime soon.

Typically, Guard members need to be on active orders for more than 30 days to qualify for benefits like a housing allowance or health care, and issuing multiple extensions to those orders can sometimes cause interruptions.

National Guard members from Republican-led states also have been sent to Washington. How long those troops, who number 1,334, remain in the nation’s capital is up to their individual governors.

A spokesperson for the joint task force overseeing all Guard troops deployed to Washington and the Pentagon directed questions about the extension to the White House. In response to questions, a White House official said Trump was committed to the long-term safety and security of Washington.

The National Guard official said leaders also are expected to begin putting out policies on leave and time off for deployed troops — another sign that military leaders expect the deployment to go on for a longer period of time.

The task force acknowledged Monday that it was “aware of concerns regarding pay and benefits for members of Joint Task Force-District of Columbia.”

“While exceptions exist, the majority of service members are mobilized on orders extending beyond 30 days, ensuring they qualify for full benefits,” the task force said in a statement.

CNN was first to report the D.C. Guard’s extension.