WEBSTER SPRINGS, WEST VIRGINIA – In West Virginia, military service has long been a cornerstone of both local identity and economic opportunity, particularly in rural areas with few job prospects. The recent deaths and injuries of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., have stirred debate across the state about the deployments ordered by President Trump. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom was killed, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe was wounded while patrolling near the White House, part of Trump’s effort to send Guard troops to American cities to “fight crime.” Some Democratic leaders and federal judges have questioned the legality of these deployments, and even in conservative West Virginia, residents are asking whether sending troops to D.C. makes sense.
Beckstrom, 20, grew up in the tiny town of Webster Springs, population 800, before moving to Summersville. Locals remember her as cheerful and helpful, a young person whose prospects were limited by the decline of coal mining and scarce job opportunities. For many in the region, joining the National Guard offers financial support for college, steady pay from drills and training, and additional income from deployments. In Martinsburg, Wolfe’s hometown, fellow Guard member Jason Mitchell highlighted the economic appeal, noting that he and his stepdaughter both joined to help pay for college and secure retirement benefits. Yet the D.C. deployment, which has reportedly included tasks like trash removal and landscaping rather than traditional security duties, has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers, some residents, and even opinion writers in West Virginia newspapers. State Democratic leaders argue that Beckstrom and Wolfe would not have been in harm’s way without the deployment, while Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey defends it as a continuation of the state’s proud military service legacy. Among residents, however, questions linger about the necessity and purpose of sending the West Virginia National Guard to the nation’s capital, particularly in light of the recent tragedy.
