WASHINGTON – U.S. Soldiers with the North Dakota, Arkansas and Nebraska Army National Guard, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia, or JTF-DC, in support of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission, responded to a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, or WHCAD, at the Washington Hilton in northwest Washington, April 25.
The Guardsmen were at the WHCAD at the request of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), as an additional patrol unit created specifically for the event, which celebrates the contributions of news organizations and independent journalists who provide notable coverage of the presidential administration.
“Our mission was to assist the U.S. Secret Service with crowd control,” said Capt. Kevin Peatrowsky, an operations officer with the Nebraska National Guard assigned to JTF-DC.
While the Guardsmen were monitoring their area of operations, they saw USSS agents sprint toward the hotel entrance.
“They were running full speed with their weapons drawn,” said Sgt. 1st. Class Allen Haney, a team member with the Arkansas National Guard. “We immediately followed suit.”
Staff Sgt. Kristen Confer, a Nebraska National Guard combat medic and battle captain, recalled her response to the incident.
“We fell back on our basic training. You run toward danger and move in a way that makes sense for the situation,” Confer said.
The Guardsmen entered the hotel and immediately began securing the scene and ensuring that the guests evacuated safely, Confer said. At the direction of a federal agent, Confer began a rapid trauma assessment on the suspect, which resulted in finding knives and ammunition on the shooter. Simultaneously, the Arkansas Soldiers moved outside to provide crowd control at a pedestrian barricade outside the hotel.
“From there, we assisted wherever we could,” said 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, a National Guardsman from North Dakota who served as the officer in charge of the mission. “We were initially helping with crowd control. After that, we realized that the USSS had begun rerouting everyone in the hotel, so we moved to the doors. We were controlling entry into the venue, so we had moved a couple more people outside, so we had five inside, eight outside.”
Arkansas and Nebraska Soldiers worked well alongside one another and with the federal agencies. Hill also noted that relying on his Soldiers enabled him to move to different teams, which helped him plan and coordinate with various agencies.
Arkansas Soldiers also helped establish a security perimeter for the staging of the presidential motorcade, said 1st Lt. Jonathan Goins, a platoon leader with the Arkansas National Guard. Later, the team assisted federal agencies and the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia with crowd control, helping clear the way for the president and administration officials, he said.
“Guardsmen on this mission represent the very best of the nation,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard II, the interim commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard. “The world got a brief glimpse, but I see them each day serving and doing amazing things across the District.”