Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with Army Maj. Ryan Reynolds and Air Force Maj. Edwin Stanfield on Monday, May 4, 2026, at the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. (Defense Department)
Two West Virginia National Guard members on Monday received the Air Force’s and Army’s most prestigious medals for noncombat heroism for their actions during an ambush in Washington, D.C., in November.
Army Maj. Ryan Reynolds received the Soldier’s Medal, and Air Force Maj. Edwin Stanfield received the Airman’s Medal.
“Thank you for your courage that day. Thank you for your service to this nation,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a ceremony at the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes. “When in that moment, you could have made a number of different choices … you chose action. You chose courage over fear.”
Reynolds and Stanfield subdued an Afghan national who had attacked two other West Virginia Guard members near the White House on Nov. 26, then they secured the scene to protect civilians nearby.
Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom was shot and killed; Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe was wounded.
Federal officials and law enforcement described the incident as a planned, targeted attack. The gunman accused of the shooting, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, has pleaded not guilty to the nine charges against him — including first-degree murder.
Maj. Gen. James Seward, the adjutant general of West Virginia, and West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey attended the ceremony.
“The medals that you’re receiving today, they demonstrate extraordinary heroism, but not just in combat. They demonstrate that heroism when instinct and character take over,” Morrisey said. “I really can speak for the people of the state of West Virginia, who are so appreciative of everything you do.”
Reynolds is the executive officer of 771st Troop Command Battalion; Stanfield is an intelligence officer with the 167th Airlift Wing.
A moment of silence was held for Beckstrom, whose mother was in attendance. Wolfe has been recovering since the shooting.
“Andy, one day, I’m looking down at him in a hospital bed. The next day, I’m looking up (and) he’s throwing out the first pitch,” Hegseth said. “An incredible human being, truly a miracle.”
During the State of the Union address in February, President Donald Trump awarded the Purple Heart to Wolfe, who was in attendance, and to Beckstrom posthumously. Trump said during his speech that Beckstrom “died in order to defend our capital.” Her parents received the award on her behalf.
There are about 2,500 troops in Washington, according to Joint Task Force-DC. National Guard members from the district and other states have been patrolling the nation’s capital after Trump issued an emergency order in August.
The Pentagon is planning to maintain the National Guard’s federal mission in the nation’s capital until Jan. 20, 2029, through the rest of Trump’s second term, officials told ABC News.
