District of Columbia National Guard troops who have been deployed to the nation’s capital to crack down on crime have had their orders extended through December, according to a news report.
An unnamed National Guard official told The Associated Press that the main reason for the extension is to ensure that D.C. Guardsmen deployed in the city will continue to have uninterrupted benefits and pay for a mission that may continue for months.
The extension does not mean that all 950 D.C. Guardsmen now deployed will serve until the end of December, but it strongly implies that their deployment is not ending anytime soon.
National Guardsmen typically need to be on active orders for more than 30 days to qualify for benefits like a housing allowance or healthcare, and issuing multiple extensions to those orders can sometimes cause interruptions.
The National Guard official also said that leaders are expected to begin releasing policies on leave and time off for deployed troops, another signal that they expect the deployment to continue for some time.
There are also 1,334 National Guardsmen from Republican-led states that have been deployed to Washington, D.C., but the length of their stay is up to their individual governors.
A White House official told the AP that President Trump was committed to the long-term safety and security of the nation’s capital.
The joint task force overseeing all Guard troops deployed to D.C. said Monday that it was “aware of concerns regarding pay and benefits for members of Joint Task Force-District of Columbia.”
“While exceptions exist, the majority of service members are mobilized on orders extending beyond 30 days, ensuring they qualify for full benefits,” the task force said in a statement.
