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Indiana National Guard soldiers with 113th Engineer Battalion, based in Gary, and assigned to Joint Task Force – District of Columbia, during a departure ceremony in Franklin, Indiana, Dec. 5, 2025. Hoosier Guardsmen on this mission will assist local and federal law enforcement partners with community safety patrols, traffic control posts, and crowd-flow support.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Hector Tinoco)VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 5Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Indiana National Guard soldiers with 113th Engineer Battalion, based in Gary, and assigned to Joint Task Force – District of Columbia, during a departure ceremony in Franklin, Indiana, Dec. 5, 2025. Hoosier Guardsmen on this mission will assist local and federal law enforcement partners with community safety patrols, traffic control posts, and crowd-flow support.
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Indiana National Guard soldiers with 113th Engineer Battalion, based in Gary, and assigned to Joint Task Force – District of Columbia, during a departure ceremony in Franklin, Indiana, Dec. 5, 2025. Hoosier Guardsmen on this mission will assist local and federal law enforcement partners with community safety patrols, traffic control posts, and crowd-flow support.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Hector Tinoco)VIEW ORIGINAL4 / 5Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Indiana National Guard Brig. Gen. Cathy Eaken, a 38th Infantry Division deputy commanding general, speaks during a departure ceremony in Franklin, Indiana, on Dec. 5, 2025. Hoosier Guardsmen on this mission will assist local and federal law enforcement partners with community safety patrols, traffic control posts, and crowd-flow support.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Hector Tinoco)VIEW ORIGINAL5 / 5Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Indiana National Guard soldiers with 113th Engineer Battalion, based in Gary, and assigned to Joint Task Force – District of Columbia, stay warm around a fire pit between shooting iterations during a qualification range at Camp Atterbury near Edinburgh, Ind., Dec. 3, 2025. Indiana National Guard soldiers supporting the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission are professionally trained and qualified to support law enforcement organizations.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Skyler Schendt)VIEW ORIGINAL
INDIANAPOLIS – Approximately 300 Indiana National Guard Soldiers arrived in Washington Dec. 6 to support the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission.
Hoosier Guard members will assist local and federal law enforcement partners, conduct community safety patrols, and manage traffic control posts to reduce crime, minimize property damage and maintain public order.
Indiana National Guard Lt. Col. Derek Sutton, commander of the D.C. contingent, reiterated that message in his departure ceremony speech in Franklin on Dec. 5.
“In Washington, D.C., our mission is simple. We will help create a safer environment for the people who live, work and visit there. We will support civil authorities and stand as a visible reminder that the National Guard is the bridge between everyday Americans and their military,” Sutton said.
Hoosier National Guard Soldiers have been training at Camp Atterbury since mid-November, preparing for their mission that includes response, crowd management and de-escalation techniques.
“We are ready, and there is mission-specific training that we need to take on,” Sutton said during the training events.
“It is about reminding anyone who would do harm that there are trained, disciplined professional Soldiers on watch,” Sutton said during his ceremony speech.
The Dec. 5 ceremony at the Johnson County Armory included Indiana National Guard leadership, fellow Soldiers and hundreds of family members of the departing Soldiers.
“It is clear to us that you are trained and vary capable to conduct this mission,” said Brig. Gen. Cathy Eaken, a 38th Infantry Division commanding general.
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