National Guard Leader Says Domestic Missions Improving Troop Readiness

During a media roundtable discussion with multiple news outlets today, a senior National Guard leader said that domestic missions like the one currently taking place in Washington, D.C., are helping build troop readiness rather than detracting from it.
At present, there are approximately 4,700 guardsmen from 19 states who are part of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, which President Donald J. Trump established by executive order March 28, 2025.
Regarding the mission, Army Maj. Gen. Ronald Burkett II, National Guard Bureau director of operations and logistics, said that, at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the guard has been closely tracking any negative impacts on readiness since the operation began.
"We're watching this very, very closely, [and] I'm not tracking any concerns — either from the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard — in terms of an inability to prepare trained, ready, competent, confident soldiers across our entire mission spectrum," Burkett said.
He added that such missions can be seen as "readiness builders" because the service members are out of the motor pools and armories and instead, responding to missions.
"And the benefit that it provides to our small unit leaders is immeasurable," Burkett said.
While interacting with guardsmen in the D.C. area over the weekend, Burkett said he was "greatly impressed" by what he saw, adding, "I'm just so enamored at the quality of the young men and women that just continue to make up our formation. They're fit, they're motivated, they understand their mission and they're completely plugged in."
Beyond just readiness, the general also said such domestic missions can be beneficial at higher levels.
"Whether it's command, control, maneuver [or] sustainment, all of these things come into play, and we get opportunities through our responses," he said, noting that, whether at a local or national level, such missions provide the guardsmen with an opportunity to learn and adjust within operating procedures.
He further stated that throughout his 40-year career, the quality of such missions has continued to improve.
"It just keeps getting better, and the people that I'm doing it with keep getting better," Burkett said.
Now that the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force has surpassed its one-year mark, Burkett said the operation has become more efficient. For instance, he noted that guardsmen have been moved out of hotels and into apartments during their deployment to the National Capital Region.
"I was asking the soldiers about their living accommodations, [and] I was really happy to hear that there's no complaints. … [The guardsmen] are very pleased, and they can see how responsive and receptive their leadership is to meeting their needs," Burkett said.
Regarding readiness, Burkett emphasized that remaining vigilant and alert while operating in the nation's capital — particularly while assisting law enforcement agencies — is paramount.
"D.C. Safe and Beautiful is a very real mission, and there are hazards — just like there are in every mission that we do — whether it's training or it's a response," Burkett said, referencing the shooting of two guardsmen in November 2025, which resulted in the death of one victim and the serious wounding of the other.
"There's a requirement to be diligent every single time you leave, because your partners — your fellow soldiers — depend on it," he said.
There is currently legislation moving through Congress that seeks to extend the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission through Jan. 2, 2029.