In the heart of West Virginia, where mountain ridges cradle small towns and bridges bear the names of local veterans, military service is woven deeply into the fabric of daily life. It’s not just a matter of tradition—it’s an economic reality and a source of pride. But after a tragic shooting in Washington, D.C., left Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom dead and Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe critically wounded, many West Virginians are questioning the wisdom and politics behind the latest National Guard deployments.
On the chilly evening of November 26, 2025, Beckstrom and Wolfe were on patrol just three blocks from the White House, part of President Trump’s ongoing mission to deploy National Guard troops to U.S. cities, ostensibly to fight crime. According to NPR and the Los Angeles Times, the two were ambushed near a subway station. Beckstrom, just 20 years old, succumbed to her injuries the next day, while Wolfe, 24, was left with a serious head wound that would require weeks of acute care.
For many in West Virginia, the loss hit especially hard. This is a state with one of the highest per-capita veteran populations in the country. Banners featuring hometown soldiers line Main Streets, and stories of service are passed down through generations. Yet, as the community mourns, a debate is brewing: Was this deployment really necessary, or had politics put these young soldiers in harm’s way?
“She always had a smile on her face. Always willing to help. And she always liked to give me a rough time,” recalled Kenny Kidd, a longtime school bus driver in Webster Springs, Beckstrom’s hometown. In this rural corner of the state, job prospects for young people are limited. “Coal mining is on its way out,” Kidd told NPR. “Other than that, it’s… work at a grocery store or a hardware store. And there’s just not much here.” For many, the National Guard offers a lifeline: bonus pay, college tuition, and a steady check from monthly drills. The extra money from deployments—like the one to D.C.—can make all the difference.
Wolfe’s story is similar. After graduating from Musselman High School in 2019, he joined the National Guard and eventually became a lineman with Frontier Communications. As Principal Alicia Riggleman described, Wolfe was “an engaged and high-achieving student who embodied the Applemen spirit, contributing positively to our school community both academically and athletically.” His family, quoted by Governor Patrick Morrisey in a statement, said he is “beginning to look more like himself” and will require several more weeks of intensive care. A vigil for Wolfe was held at his alma mater, a testament to the community’s support and concern.
But beneath the outpouring of sympathy, frustration is growing. The deployment to Washington, D.C., has drawn criticism from both sides of the political aisle. Republican Governor Patrick Morrisey has defended the mission, emphasizing West Virginia’s “proud history of military service” and calling the D.C. operation “a continuation of this legacy of service.” In his words, “The State of West Virginia is unwavering in its support for our National Guard. Since our founding, our state has a proud history of military service, answering the call for missions across the globe. The mission in D.C. is a continuation of this legacy of service — and we fully back the Guard members who willingly stepped up to clean up crime in our nation's capital.”
Yet, not everyone is convinced. West Virginia Democratic lawmakers have sharply criticized the deployment, noting that many Guard troops were reportedly tasked with non-security duties like trash pickup and graffiti removal rather than the security roles the White House suggested. Mike Pushkin, chairman of the state’s Democratic Party and a member of the House of Delegates, was blunt: Beckstrom and Wolfe “would not be there had it not been for the president calling in the National Guard in this strange form of political theater and it unfortunately put them in harm’s way.”
Local residents echo these concerns. Roseanna Groves, related by marriage to Beckstrom, voiced outrage that the attacker—Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who had worked with the CIA—had been allowed into the U.S. She blamed former President Biden for the immigration decision, even though Lakanwal entered the country under Trump’s administration. “I think something should be done” about immigrants like him, she said, before adding, “I feel it was crazy, I really do,” referring to the decision to send the Guard to Washington.
The suspect, Lakanwal, who also sustained injuries during the confrontation, has been charged with murder and pleaded not guilty, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. The legal process is just beginning, but for many in West Virginia, the pain and confusion linger. They wonder: Was this tragedy preventable? Was the deployment truly about public safety, or had it become, as Kidd the bus driver put it, “a lot more political than anything else”?
For some, the National Guard is a family affair. At a prayer vigil for Wolfe in Martinsburg, Air Force Staff Sergeant Jason Mitchell spoke of joining the Guard to pay off college debt. “My stepdaughter actually just joined and she graduated basic [training] while I was deployed,” he said. “She was kind of in the same boat where she was going to college and was looking for… an opportunity.” Guidance counselor Charity Powers sees similar motivations among her students: “Some want money for college, some want to travel and others see it as a patriotic duty to follow in the footsteps of relatives who’ve served.”
Despite the state’s deep-rooted support for the military and the voluntary nature of the deployment, these recent events have sparked a reckoning. Several state newspapers have published critical editorials, and in small towns across West Virginia, conversations have shifted. The banners honoring local heroes will soon include Beckstrom’s picture, Kidd noted somberly. “But she’ll be missed.”
As Wolfe continues his slow recovery—his parents hopeful, the community rallying around him—the debate over the purpose, cost, and politics of National Guard deployments rages on. For many West Virginians, the sacrifices are all too real, and the answers remain painfully elusive.
