Bidens thank National Guard for service at the Capitol

President Biden and first lady Jill Biden on Monday thanked the National Guard for its service at the Capitol after it was announced that more than 2,000 guardsmen would conclude their mission there that began following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

“Since the insurrection on January 6, thousands of proud service members, from states and territories all across our Union, have stood watch over the citadel of our democracy,” the Bidens said in a statement. “As they return now to their homes and families, we salute each of them for their commitment to country.

“When duty calls, our National Guard members put their lives on hold to stand as a shield and a support when their country is in need,” the president and first lady added. “We’ve asked so much of our Guard over the past year, not only defending our Capitol, but supporting our fight against COVID-19, responding to storm damage and wildfires, and deploying internationally to support peacekeeping missions.”

The Bidens noted that the president’s late son, Beau Biden, served in the National Guard, giving them special appreciation for the military service branch. Jill Biden went to the Capitol in January after Inauguration Day to personally thank members of the National Guard who had been staying there overnight.

About 2,149 guardsmen will return home this week after being called to the Washington, D.C., following the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The mission ended Sunday after the Defense Department did not receive a request to extend it. 

The National Guard was deployed to the Capitol after a pro-Trump mob overwhelmed law enforcement and breached the complex in a bid to stop the certification of Biden’s electoral victory. Several Capitol Police officers were injured in the ensuing mayhem, and multiple people died during the riot.

Nearly 26,000 guardsmen were deployed to the region to help shore up the Capitol Police before eventually dropping down to roughly 2,300 troops in March.