WASHINGTON – Foggy Bottom Metro Station moves at its usual pace as coats and backpacks ebb and flow with arriving trains.
Commuters fill the platform, conversations blending into the steady hum of public transit. Moving through the crowd is Lt. Col. Kimberly Quinn, commander of Task Force Phantom, checking in on Florida National Guard Soldiers supporting the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission.
For Quinn, routine presence and personal connection define the mission as much as any assigned task.
“My favorite thing about this mission is talking to Soldiers,” Quinn said. “We’re constantly moving through the area of operations, checking in on them – not just about mission readiness, but about how they’re doing as people and professionals.”
Quinn said she deliberately uses each mobilization as an opportunity to engage Soldiers about their goals and development, viewing the mission as both operational and formative.
“They’re here to serve the mission, but they also have personal and professional objectives,” she said. “How do they want to return home better than when they arrived? Those conversations matter.”
Task Force Phantom has been in Washington for several weeks, operating through a winter season that brought significant snowfall to the District. As of early February, the city had received approximately 14 inches of snow, which is its highest seasonal total in five years.
“For many of our Soldiers, especially those from Florida, this is their first time experiencing D.C. and their first time operating in sustained winter conditions,” Quinn said. “It’s a new environment, but it’s also an opportunity to support the community when conditions are challenging.”
Florida National Guard Soldiers have assisted with snow removal at local schools to help students return to class and provided aid to motorists whose vehicles became stuck in snowbanks.
“It’s not only the directed tasks we receive,” Quinn said. “Our Soldiers take initiative to help residents with individual needs whenever they can.”
Despite the winter conditions, Quinn said the Guard’s presence within the Metro system has remained steady and reassuring for commuters navigating the city.
“The Metro is still operating well,” she said. “I spoke with a commuter this morning who said they felt comfortable using public transportation, especially with snow and ice making road conditions more difficult.”
Quinn said that consistency, combined with visible, approachable Soldiers, helps reinforce a sense of confidence and stability in shared public spaces.
“Our role is to support, to be present and to help people feel safe going about their day,” she said. “That steady presence matters.”
As the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission continues, leaders say those everyday interactions, such as routine patrols, brief conversations and small acts of assistance, add up. Together, they help preserve public order, support community resilience and allow the nation’s capital to function smoothly, even under challenging conditions. For Task Force Phantom, success is measured not by disruption but by the city's continued movement, and the mission’s impact is felt without drawing attention to itself.