When will West Virginia National Guard leave Washington, DC?

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WBOY) – Members of the West Virginia National Guard have been deployed in Washington, D.C. for approaching two months.

Approximately 400 soldiers and airmen from West Virginia were sent to Washington on Aug. 19, making them among the first to join President Donald Trump’s Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, but when will they return home? The Associated Press reported

over the weekend that more than half of the states with troops in Washington plan to remove them this fall. For West Virginia, that expected removal date is by Nov. 30, according to the AP.

The AP report said that Ohio, Georgia and Mississippi will follow a similar timeline as West Virginia, and South Carolina plans to remove troops by the end of October. Alabama, Louisiana and South Dakota had not announced removal plans as of the report, and troops from the D.C. National Guard will continue patrols in the city until at least December.

While deployed, WVNG leadership said troops from West Virginia provided “critical assistance to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department” by helping with things like patrols, logistics, administration and public affairs to reduce crime and ensure safety in the city. In September, a group of troops from West Virginia even helped reunite a missing person with special needs with their guardian.

Since the government shutdown began on Oct. 1, military personnel, including the National Guard members deployed in Washington, have been working without pay, although President Trump on Saturday directed the Department of Defense to use all of the department’s “available funds” to pay military workers. The shutdown also means that public information and announcements on changes to the deployment will be limited until Congress passes a resolution, according to the WVNG.