West Virginians question National Guard deployments after attack on 2 of their own

"WEBSTER SPRINGS, WV. In West Virginia, many of the thousands of bridges spanning mountain valleys and gorges are named for local veterans and on Main Streets in small towns, banners feature hometown soldiers, some of whom fought and died in past conflicts. It's a state with one of the country's highest per-capita populations of veterans. Service in the military including the various branches of the National Guard has long been seen not just as a patriotic duty, but as an economic lifeline."

"The death of Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom in a Washington, D.C. shooting and the wounding of another National Guard soldier Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, have brought that reality home once more in their hometowns and across the state. The two were attacked while patrolling near the White House as part of President Trump's National Guard deployments to American cities."

"Before moving to nearby Summersville after high school, Beckstrom, 20, grew up in Webster Springs, with its population of just 800 tucked amid mountains and spruce forests. Kenny Kidd has been driving a school bus in the town for years. He remembers all the children and Sarah he says, "was a great kid." "She always had a smile on her face. Always willing to help. And she always liked to give me a rough time," he says laughing."

West Virginia has one of the nation's highest per-capita veteran populations, with public memorials and hometown banners honoring service members. Military service, including National Guard service, functions as both a patriotic duty and an economic lifeline in poorer regions where traditional jobs are shrinking. The death of Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and the wounding of Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe while on patrol near the White House renewed debate over National Guard deployments to American cities. The deployments are defended as crime-fighting by the president but have faced legal challenges and growing local questioning, even in strongly pro-military communities. Local residents recall Beckstrom fondly and cite limited job options as reasons young people join the Guard.

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