Have you noticed this? President Trump promptly ordered U.S. flags lowered to half-staff nationwide to honor Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA podcaster killed during a Utah event in September 2025. Flags at the White House, federal buildings, and military installations remained so until sunset on September. Yet when National Guard members are wounded or killed in the line of duty, there's no similar federal recognition. It raises some serious questions.
National Guard Members Targeted in D.C.
Consider Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, from Martinsburg, assigned to the Force Support Squadron, 167th Airlift Wing, and Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, from Summersville, with the 863rd Military Police Company, 111th Engineer Brigade—all West Virginia National Guard. On November 26, they suffered targeted headshots near the White House. Spc. Beckstrom, who enlisted in June 2023, passed away the next day; Staff Sgt. Wolfe remains in critical condition. These service members volunteered to serve, and their sacrifice deserves acknowledgment.
No Federal Order—Why the Silence?
As of November 30, 2025, the federal government has not directed flags to half-staff for Spc. Beckstrom's death or Staff Sgt. Wolfe's service. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey ordered state flags lowered through the end of the year, but no national proclamation has followed. A podcaster receives swift honors, while troops face this without them—what does that say about our priorities?
Guard Deployments in Peacetime: Necessary or Overreach?
These soldiers were among over 2,000 National Guard troops deployed to Washington, D.C., since August under "Operation D.C. Safe and Beautiful," tasked with patrolling subways and parks amid declining crime rates. With no declared war or insurrection, courts have questioned this as overreach into local law enforcement. Deploying Guard units domestically like this—leading to casualties—prompts us to ask: Is it truly necessary, or does it veer into authoritarian territory?
