National Guard members activated for DC federal takeover seen picking-up trash

VIDEO: National Guard in DC pick up trash

A full busload of National Guard members were seen Tuesday morning picking up trash around Lafayette Park, just outside of the White House.

WASHINGTON - A full busload of National Guard members were seen Tuesday morning picking up trash around Lafayette Park, just outside of the White House.

It's part of a "beautification and restoration mission," according to the military office overseeing the soldiers and airman activated to help respond and deter crime as part of the federal government "D.C. Takeover."

An official confirmed to FOX 5 DC that 110 National Guard members were picking up trash Tuesday at Lafayette Square, the National Mall, and the Tidal Basin. 

"We are committed to keeping D.C. safe and beautiful," said the official. 

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National Guard in Washington, D.C.

Guard joins cleanup effort

What we know:

The Joint Task Force-DC office noted in their Monday email update: "Service members assigned to JTF-DC will begin a beautification and restoration mission with National Park Service (NPS) as part of an overarching plan that includes an estimated 40 or more tasks being coordinated across the District."

FOX 5 reached out asking for more information about the type of beautification projects, along with information on which guard units would be assigned. 

On Saturday, the D.C. National Guard posted video previewing this effort while working along a D.C. waterfront. The video also included a comment that read, "This week, Soldiers and Airmen conducted site surveys in coordination with federal and local partners to begin community restoration projects. #SafeAndBeautiful." 

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Federal mission

What they're saying:

"Growing up as a D.C. Native from Southeast DC, it feels good to be out here cleaning streets, making D.C. beautiful again. I feel like D.C. really needed this and I feel like it's only going to get better and better from here," said a DCNG member in the video. 

Jessie Rabinowitz with the National Homeless Law Center wrote on X on Tuesday, "I just learned that the national guard was seen picking up trash on White House grounds. Why are we spending $1 million a day for them to pick up trash? For one week of DC guard deployment, we could solve homelessness for 150 ppl for a year."