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Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, a military police officer assigned to the 863rd Military Police Company, West Virginia Army National Guard, was laid to rest with full military honors on Dec. 9 at the West Virginia National Cemetery in Grafton. She died on Nov. 27 after being fatally wounded in the line of duty during a shooting near Farragut Square in Washington, D.C.

Two Iowa Army National Guard Soldiers were killed and three were wounded Saturday in Syria by a gunman with suspected ties to the Islamic State. A civilian interpreter was also killed in the attack. “The gunman was engaged and killed,” according to a U.S. Central Command report.

Saturday is the 389th anniversary of the National Guard’s birth. On Dec. 13, 1636, the Massachusetts Bay Colony’s General Court, the colony’s legislature, organized the North, South and East regiments from the independent militia in 14 villages around Boston to better defend the colony.

Service members will receive a 3.8% pay raise beginning Jan. 1 under the final version of the annual defense policy bill announced by the House and Senate on Sunday night.

Air National Guardsmen would have a permanent federal tuition assistance program under a bipartisan bill introduced last week in the House.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Saturday outlined four distinct lines of effort for the War Department to take to guarantee peace through strength for the United States and its allies in the coming years.

Most Americans (55%) support using the National Guard to assist local police during major civil disturbances and to address violent crime, according to the Reagan National Defense Survey released Dec. 4.

West Virginia communities and officials are honoring the two members of the state’s National Guard who were shot in Washington, D.C. last week, lauding their dedication to serving their country.

Following the shooting of two West Virginia Guardsmen, the Metropolitan Police Department will begin joint patrols with National Guard troops. The measure is intended to enhance security and visibility in the city.

Congressional leaders last week completed much of their work on settling differences between House and Senate versions of the annual must-pass defense-policy bill.

On Nov. 20, NGAUS held a Retired/Separated Virtual Meeting featuring a presentation on Qualified Charitable Distributions. The meeting was hosted by retired Maj. Gen. April Vogel and retired Brig. Gen. Mike Oster.

The Air Force has selected McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base in Knoxville, Tennessee, to be the Guard’s third main operating base for the service’s new refueling aircraft.