We stand ready to support our partners in the National Capital Region and contribute to the collective effort of making our nation’s capital a clean and safe environment,” the

West Virginia, Ohio, and South Carolina — are set to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington. And, in a reversal of their previous stance, Defense officials now say many of those troops will be armed.

National Guard troops have begun 24-hour operations around Washington, D.C., as of Thursday morning, according to a Department of Defense official. It's part of President Donald Trump's plan to address crime in Washington by taking over the city's police department and deploying the National Guard troops.

Trump fulfills campaign promise by federalizing D.C. with 30-day emergency control, cracking down on crime in the nation's capital.

Around two dozen soldiers stood guard outside Washington, Union Station in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 14. They had little to do.