SC sends 300 National Guard troops to DC in second deployment rotation

More than 300 South Carolina National Guard members are headed to Washington, D.C., by the end of this week.

This is the South Carolina guard’s second rotation to the nation’s capital in support of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on “out of control” crime.

“They are ready to go,” Gov. Henry McMaster told reporters. “They’re pleased to go; they’re serious about it, and they’ll do their job.”

The deployment comes a week after a West Virginia soldier was killed and another was severely injured in a shooting attack that the Trump administration has called an act of terrorism. In response, Trump ordered an additional 500 guardsmen to Washington.

The second deployment round of South Carolina’s guardsmen, which will last 90 days, was scheduled before the shooting and is not part of the ramp up. There are no plans for an extension or an increase in number of soldiers, according to a statement from the South Carolina adjutant general’s office.

Soldiers of the 4-118th Combined Arms Battalion, based in Columbia, were the first from the state to go to Washington in August as part of what the president coined “Operation D.C. Safe and Beautiful.” The group of 200 guardsmen remained in the capital for about 30 days before returning to the Palmetto State.

This time, national guardsmen of the 1st Battalion 178th Field Artillery Regiment, based in Georgetown, were assigned to rotate in and relieve National Guard members from Georgia.

“Their primary mission is to provide critical support to law enforcement agencies, reinforcing safety and security for residents, workers, and visitors in the nation’s capital,” reads the statement from the adjutant general’s office.

The 178th has previously deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, according to its commander Lt. Col. W. Brunson De Pass III.

“The leadership in the state of South Carolina trusts this battalion. This battalion has a lot of history of doing things the right way and being successful,” De Pass said in a statement.

During the August deployment, South Carolina guardsmen provided security and patrols at transit stations, events and popular destinations, including the National Mall, Union Station, and the White House.

Both times the troops have been deployed under an agreement called Title 32. Under this arrangement, the federal government covers the cost, but Gov. Henry McMaster retains control and can call the guard back at any time.

Upon their arrival in Washington, D.C., the guardsmen will be briefed and receive additional training from federal law enforcement.

“We are confident our soldiers are trained, equipped and ready to accomplish their duties,” Maj. Gen. Robin B. Stilwell, adjutant general for South Carolina, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, prosecutors have charged Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, with first-degree murder, assault with intent to kill and illegal possession of a firearm in the shooting that killed Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically wounded Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24.

Their fellow guardsmen shot Lakanwal. He pleaded not guilty from his hospital bed Tuesday.

On Nov. 27, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to end the deployments by guard units, declaring the use of troops was “unlawful” and usurped local officials’ authority.

The order had been on hold for 21 days as the U.S. Department of Justice filed an appeal. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals officially continued the hold Thursday as it considers the case.