Pentagon Authorizes National Guard to Carry Weapons in D.C.

The National Guard isn’t saying how many soldiers are actually qualified to patrol with their assigned service firearm.

National Guard soldiers keep watch as people walk at Union Station.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP

The Pentagon will allow some National Guard soldiers deployed in Washington, D.C., to carry weapons, a Defense Department official said Friday.

But gaps in training could limit the number of troops who can actually carry weapons — and the military isn’t saying how many troops could be armed.

The DOD official said soldiers will “be on mission with their service-issued weapons, consistent with their mission and training.”A spokesperson for the D.C. National Guard made a similar statement: Troops “may be armed consistent with their mission and training” and “all personnel are operating under applicable laws and regulations.”