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The main purpose of the extension is to ensure that any D.C.
Guard members out on the streets of Washington will continue to
have uninterrupted benefits and pay for a mission that seems
likely to persist for months, the official said.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they
were not authorized to talk to the media, said that while the
extension doesn’t mean that all 950 D.C. Guard troops now
deployed will serve until the end of December, it is a strong
indication that their role is not winding down anytime soon.
Typically, Guard members need to be on active orders for more
than 30 days to qualify for benefits like a housing allowance or
health care, and issuing multiple extensions to those orders can
sometimes cause interruptions.
National Guard members from Republican-led states also have been
sent to Washington. How long those troops, who number 1,334,
remain in the nation’s capital is up to their individual
governors.
A spokesperson for the joint task force overseeing all Guard
troops deployed to Washington and the Pentagon directed
questions about the extension to the White House. In response to
questions, a White House official said Trump was committed to
the long-term safety and security of Washington.
The National Guard official said leaders also are expected to
begin putting out policies on leave and time off for deployed
troops — another sign that military leaders expect the
deployment to go on for a longer period of time.
The task force acknowledged 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.
CNN was first to report the D.C. Guard's extension.
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