Entering this holiday cycle, about 160 members of the West Virginia National Guard have volunteered to remain in Washington, D.C., for support and patrols around the city.

Some of the West Virginia National Guard members there helped set up for a Thanksgiving meal through Joint Task Force-District of Columbia, the collaborative unit focused on public safety and cleanliness in the nation’s capital.

Other members of the West Virginia National Guard still on duty in the District of Columbia recorded video messages to send well-wishes for the holiday.

U.S. Army Col. Larry Doane, commander of Joint Task Force–District of Columbia, shared a holiday message honoring servicemembers. “Service means sacrifice — the choice to do what others will not,” Doane said.

He concluded, “Today, someone is

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