Members of the Utah National Guard at work in Washington DC cleaning graffiti June 3, 2020 Photo Utah National Guard
WASHINGTON — Utah National Guard members are already hard at work in Washington DC, not long after being deployed to the area to help with continued civil unrest and protests.
The Utah National Guard social media accounts posted pictures early Wednesday morning of guard members cleaning graffiti and picking up trash around the nation’s capital.
Around 200 soldiers were deployed Monday from Utah at the request of President Trump. They are in DC to assist the local authorities and “preserve life, protect property and restore peace.”
UNG Public Information Officer Ileen Kennedy said Utah soldiers were already positioned for deployment but were able to be reassigned to quickly respond to the President’s request. The soldiers were flown on military KC-135R aircraft from the Utah Air National Guard at Roland R. Wright Air National Guard Base in Salt Lake City to Joint Base Andrews in Washington, D.C.
Kennedy said the Guard still has nearly 7,500 soldiers and airmen who remain here in Utah ready to provide support where it’s needed.
“As a service member and fellow American, it has been heartbreaking to witness the pain and frustration of our communities across this nation,” said Brig. Gen. Michael J. Turley, adjutant general, Utah National Guard.
“This mission to support civil authorities in our nation’s Capitol is one of our toughest missions, but one that we are trained and ready to do. The Utah National Guard is committed to support our nation to preserve life, protect property, and to restore peace during these unprecedented times.”