National Guard families and wounded Guardsman honored at State of the Union
An Afghan national arrested in the November ambush of West Virginia National Guard members pleaded not guilty earlier this month, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe — wounded in the attack — received the Purple Heart at President Trump’s State of the Union on Tuesday night.
National Guard members honored in the House Chamber
President Trump recognized several service members and one Olympic athlete during the address, presenting awards that included the Purple Heart, the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Legion of Merit and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was given the Purple Heart on the House Chamber floor and the medal was pinned to his lapel; Major General James D. Seward of the West Virginia National Guard presented the award and the president recognized Wolfe and his mother, Melody, during the address.
What happened in the D. C. ambush
In November, Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe and Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom (spelled Bekcstrom in one account) were ambushed and shot while on patrol in Washington, D. C., near the White House. Beckstrom, 20, died in the shooting; Wolfe was critically injured. The shooting occurred just before 2: 15 p. m. ET on Nov. 26 near the intersection of 17th Street and I Street NW, when Wolfe was on patrol with several other Guardsmen. Another National Guard member returned fire and hit the suspect; while the suspect was on the ground and trying to reload, another Guardsman tackled him. Officials arrested Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, at the scene. Lakanwal was originally charged under D. C. law with first-degree murder, assault with intent to kill while armed and assault with intent to kill, and U. S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro also filed federal charges. He faces two federal counts: transporting or receiving firearms in interstate or foreign commerce with the intent to commit an offense, and transporting or shipping a stolen firearm in interstate or foreign commerce. The Afghan national arrested in connection with the shooting pleaded not guilty earlier this month to federal charges.
Wolfe’s medical and service milestones
Wolfe was taken to the hospital in serious condition and was still hospitalized in December, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morissey reported. A press release from the West Virginia National Guard said Wolfe entered service in 2019 and that the shooting happened less than a day after he had been deputized to continue his patrols. On Dec. 12, 2025, the West Virginia National Guard announced he was breathing on his own and could stand up with assistance, calling those "important milestones that reflect his strength and determination. " He was later transferred to a rehabilitation facility; his family chose not to disclose the location, and it is not clear exactly when he was released.
Other medal recipients and the Olympic moment
The president also presented or announced other honors at the address. Navy Capt. E. Royce Williams, 100, received the Medal of Honor for aerial combat during the Korean War in 1952, when he shot down four Soviet MiG-15 jets during a 35-minute dogfight with seven Soviet jets off the coast of the Korean Peninsula — a clash described as one of the longest aerial engagements in U. S. Navy history; the episode remained secret for about a half-century. First lady Melania Trump presented the award and Williams received a several-minute standing ovation. Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, who was wounded during the operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro, was presented with the Medal of Honor; the president said Slover was the pilot in the first Chinook helicopter that descended on Maduro’s military compound in the middle of the night and that Slover was "hit very badly in the leg and hip" while preparing to land. Connor Hellebuyck, goalie for the U. S. men’s hockey team, was announced to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom after what the president called "extraordinary goalkeeping" that helped the U. S. defeat Canada 2-1 in the Olympic gold-medal game on Sunday, giving the U. S. its first men's hockey gold since the 1980 "Miracle on Ice. " Hellebuyck and his teammates met with Mr. Trump at the White House earlier Tuesday before attending the State of the Union, where lawmakers gave them a roaring ovation.
At the address the president said, "With God's help, Andrew has battled back from the edge of death, " and he described Beckstrom's service and the ambush that killed her in strong terms. Beckstrom's family was given a posthumous Purple Heart on their daughter's behalf.
The account of the awards was updated on February 25, 2026, at 7: 28 a. m. ET. Federal charges remain pending for the suspect arrested at the scene, and the West Virginia National Guard’s statements list Wolfe’s enlistment year and the Dec. 12, 2025 recovery milestones; beyond the State of the Union presentations and the legal filings already detailed, further dates and events are unclear in the provided context.
