By Erin Bamer | Nebraska Examiner
LINCOLN — Roughly 200 of Nebraska’s National Guard members will be sent to Washington D.C. to serve as security for the country’s 250th anniversary celebration, Gov. Jim Pillen announced Thursday.
Nebraska will join 10 other states Pillen said are “answering the call” after being asked by the chief of the National Guard Bureau to keep national monuments safe. He said the initiative has been ongoing since August. Nebraska is sending troops in late February.
“This [is] everybody’s Capitol,” said Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, a former prosecutor. “Not Virginia’s, not Maryland’s, but a federal Capitol. Now Nebraska is delighted to do our bid to keep that place safe.”
Nebraska’s mission will last between 90 to 120 days, according to Maj. Gen. Craig Strong, Nebraska’s adjutant general. Working in groups of four, Strong said Nebraska’s troops will primarily serve as monument security and conduct safety patrols throughout the Capitol region.
Pillen said the mission would not cost Nebraska taxpayers “a nickel,” as the project is entirely federally funded.
Pillen said he hasn’t heard any indication that national monuments would be under threat during the festivities. However, he said, having a National Guard presence would be a deterrent for potential crimes.
“When there’s a presence, bad people stay away,” Pillen said.
Pillen has deployed National Guard members multiple times throughout his first term, including multiple trips to the southern border and in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa for emergency response following the 2024 tornadoes.