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West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey and Maj. Gen. James Seward, adjutant general of the West Virginia National Guard, provided an update Monday on their operations in Washington as well as the condition of critically wounded guardsman, Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe.
Wolfe, of Inwood, West Virginia, and Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, of Webster Springs, West Virginia, were shot – Beckstrom fatally – allegedly by Afghan evacuee Rahmanullah Lakanwal of Bellingham, Washington, on Wednesday as they patrolled outside the Farragut West Metro station not far from the White House.
Morrisey said Wolfe has been upgraded to serious condition, a step down from the previously reported “critical” status.
“I’m not the doctor, and I’m not going to try to pretend to be so,” Morrisey said of speculation about the future of Wolfe’s condition.
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Morrisey said Wolfe’s condition appears to be improving, telling reporters in Charleston that there had been some “positive news” from friends and family in the hospital.
“Andrew was asked if he could hear the nurse who asked the question to give a ‘thumbs up’ and he did respond,” the governor said, calling the soldier’s mother, Melody, “such a positive force” and that she and her husband, Jason’s top request of the public is to continue to offer prayers.
Morrisey said he attended a vigil for Beckstrom in Webster County over the weekend, and traveled to the Eastern Panhandle for a prayer service for Wolfe that was held in Martinsburg, only 80 miles from Farragut Square.
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Seward and Morrisey spent Thanksgiving Day with the National Guardsmen at the Armory. A video from Morrisey’s social media feed indicated he met with personnel at the Washington, D.C., base.
“Every single one of the people there are volunteering,” he said, confirming 170 remain active in Washington.
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He called the attack an “unspeakable evil,” and said West Virginia has not been asked to deploy additional troops beyond the rotations it has been contributing to-date.
“They’re volunteering because they believe in the mission – they want to support the state of West Virginia, and they want to support the country.”
As for the future of the Guard’s activities in the Mountain State, Morrisey said he has been in touch with President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, and will defer to them on their processes.
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He underlined, however, that service in the Guard’s Washington mission is all-volunteer.
Of the shooting itself, Morrisey condemned media pundits who have speculated and want to “wrongly go to different places.”
“We’re not going to do that. At this point, that investigation is ongoing. The most important thing I can [say is] the citizens of West Virginia are rightfully angry about what’s happened right now,” he said.
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“Justice must be done in this case. Justice will be meted out.”
Morrisey said he supports Trump’s call for new vetting proposals for “undocumented aliens” and loopholes to be closed in refugee vetting.
Seward said the Guard numbers about 6,000 statewide and that members have been shaken by Beckstrom’s killing and Wolfe’s injuries.
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“When we lose one of our family members, I can tell you that every guardsmen I talk to is grieving,” he said.
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