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NEWS | Nov. 27, 2025

W.Va. National Guard confirms identity of Guardsmen wounded in D.C. shooting

West Virginia National Guard

CHARLESTON, W.Va.  –  

The West Virginia National Guard (WVNG), under the command of West Virginia Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Jim Seward, announces the names of the two Guardsmen shot while serving on the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Mission.

At approximately 2:15 p.m., on November 26, 2025, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, assigned to the Force Support Squadron, 167th Airlift Wing, West Virginia Air National Guard, and U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, assigned to the 863rd Military Police Company, 111th Engineer Brigade, West Virginia Army National Guard, were wounded in a shooting near the Farragut Square Metro Station in Washington, D.C.

The Guardsmen are currently hospitalized. The suspect is in custody.

SSgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, entered service on February 5, 2019. He has been on orders in the district since the beginning of the mission in August of this year.

Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of Webster Springs, West Virginia, entered service on June 26, 2023. She has been on Task Force orders in the district since the beginning of the mission in August of this year.

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U.S. Soldiers from the South Carolina National Guard and U.S. Army and Air Force service members from the West Virginia National Guard receive a briefing prior to being deputized as part of D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, Washington, D.C., Aug. 19, 2025. Approximately 800 National Guard service members comprise JTF-DC, supporting the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force. These National Guard service members provide critical support, including crowd management, presence patrols, and perimeter control, in support of law enforcement. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Amber Peck)
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West Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen arrive in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soldiers from the South Carolina National Guard and U.S. Army and Air Force service members from the West Virginia National Guard receive a briefing prior to being deputized as part of D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, Washington, D.C., Aug. 19, 2025. Approximately 800 National Guard service members comprise JTF-DC, supporting the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force. These National Guard service members provide critical support, including crowd management, presence patrols, and perimeter control, in support of law enforcement. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Amber Peck)
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West Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen arrive in Washington, D.C.

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Pfc. DA-Aldo Prince, Virgin Islands National Guard, receives a dental examination from Maj. Gerald Clark, West Virginia National Guard, during the VING’s annual Periodic Health Assessment held on St. Croix, VI, May 19, 2018. The assessment is designed to measure a Soldier’s current state of health and their ability to deploy. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Army Sgt. Priscilla Desormeaux)
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