Nebraska to deploy 200 National Guard members to D.C. as security for nation's 250th anniversary [View all]

Source: Nebraska Examiner

By: Erin Bamer - January 22, 2026 11:04 am

LINCOLN — Roughly 200 of Nebraska’s National Guard members will be sent to Washington, D.C., to serve as security for the country’s 250th anniversary celebration, Gov. Jim Pillen announced Thursday.

Nebraska will join 10 other states Pillen said are “answering the call” after being asked by the chief of the National Guard Bureau to keep national monuments safe. He said the initiative has been ongoing since August. Nebraska is sending troops in late February.

“This [is] everybody’s Capitol,” said Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, a former prosecutor. “Not Virginia’s, not Maryland’s, but a federal Capitol. Now Nebraska is delighted to do our bid to keep that place safe.”

Nebraska’s mission will last between 90 to 120 days, according to Maj. Gen. Craig Strong, Nebraska’s adjutant general. Working in groups of four, Strong said Nebraska’s troops will primarily serve as monument security and conduct safety patrols throughout the Capitol region.


Maj. Gen. Craig Strong (left), and Gov. Jim Pillen (right), speak about an upcoming deployment of 200 Nebraska National Guard members to Washington D.C. (Erin Bamer/Nebraska Examiner)

Read more: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-to-deploy-200-national-guard-members-to-d-c-as-security-for-nations-250th-anniversary/