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Arkansas will deploy Army National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., after the Thanksgiving holiday to support law enforcement in the nation’s capital, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Monday.
“Arkansas’ Guardsmen are there when we need them, whether it’s to deploy overseas, help secure the Southern Border, respond to a natural disaster, or keep our nation’s capital safe,” Sanders said in a statement. “I have no doubt that in this mission, they will show the same skill and discipline that makes them such valuable public servants and will help bring law and order back to the streets of Washington, D.C.”
The Arkansas soldiers will “conduct security presence patrols and provide law enforcement support in designated areas,” according to the governor’s office.
Brig. Gen. Chad Bridges, adjutant general of Arkansas, said about 100 troops are participating. “They bring exceptional training, discipline, and professionalism. They will be well-prepared and ready to integrate with the D.C. National Guard and accomplish the mission,” he said.
The soldiers, part of the Arkansas Army National Guard’s 142nd Field Artillery Brigade, will gather at Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver Training Center in Barling in the coming weeks for administrative processing, medical and dental checks, pre-mobilization training and mission-specific preparation, according to the statement. After the Thanksgiving holiday, they will travel to the National Capital Region, where the assignment is expected to continue for several months.
More than 2,300 National Guard members are already stationed in Washington under President Donald Trump’s order mobilizing troops to assist federal and local police amid heightened crime.
The mission in Washington has been extended through the winter. A court filing from the Department of Justice stated that the Department of War directed the D.C. National Guard to continue operations through Feb. 28, 2026.
President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard “successfully stopped the out-of-control crime crisis in our nation’s capital and turned it into a safe and clean city,” a White House spokesperson told ABC News.
“To ensure the long-term success of the federal operations to deter violent crime, the National Guard is still present in Washington, D.C. We are thankful for their service to keep our capital safe for all of its residents and visitors,” the spokesperson added.