About 100 Arkansas Army National Guard soldiers will remain in D.C. after Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders approved a 90-day extension of the deployment. They have been there since November 2025.
The soldiers, from the Arkansas Army National Guard’s 142nd Field Artillery Brigade, have been serving in the National Capital Region since shortly after Thanksgiving. The extension continues a federally funded mission in which Guard members conduct patrols and provide law enforcement support, according to state officials.
Sanders said she visited Arkansas Guard members in Washington in December and cited what she described as improvements in public safety. Brig. Gen. Chad Bridges, the adjutant general of Arkansas, said the Guard would continue supporting the District of Columbia while carrying out the mission.
State officials said the broader federal operation began in August and has resulted in thousands of arrests and the recovery of hundreds of illegal firearms. They also cited declines in violent crime compared with the same period a year earlier. The figures were provided by officials overseeing the mission.
The Arkansas National Guard said it remains prepared to deploy forces worldwide for federal missions and national security needs, and to support civil authorities in Arkansas when directed by the governor, including during disasters and emergencies.
