A National Guard soldier assigned to the Washington, D.C. mission died in an off-duty incident in the nation’s capital, officials confirmed Monday.
Alabama National Guard Staff Sgt. Jacob Hill was assigned to Joint Task Force-D.C., the name of the mission for troops who have been mobilized to the district under the direction of President Donald Trump.
Hill died Nov. 13, 2025, as a result of a “non-duty-related incident in Washington, D.C.,” JTF-DC officials told Task & Purpose on Monday. Hill was originally from Sylacauga, Alabama, and served as a squad leader with the 1166th Military Police Company.
It’s not clear what led to Hill’s death. Army officials did not respond to Task & Purpose inquiries about the incident, citing an ongoing investigation.
“The loss weighs heavily on us all within JTF-DC,” Col. Larry Doane, the commander of JTF-DC, said in a statement. “Hill’s dedication to the mission and passion to serve our country, speaks to the highest values of the military. We honor him for his service and will ensure support is extended to his loved ones during this difficult time.”
Hill was one of nearly 2,200 National Guard troops mobilized by President Donald Trump over the summer to assist local law enforcement in combating crime. The troop presence in D.C. includes troops from the D.C. National Guard and seven states. The Alabama Guard arrived in DC in early October. The mission was the second deployment of troops to a major U.S. city this year, following Los Angeles in June.
From the outset, the D.C. mission became highly politicized and was followed by several National Guard mobilizations to U.S. cities like Chicago, Portland and Memphis.
The National Guard deployments have set off a series of court challenges over the constitutionality of the mobilizations at the local and federal levels. In the latest ruling, a federal judge in D.C. ruled that Trump’s deployment to the nation’s capital was illegal and lacked full authority without Congress. The impacts of the judge’s ruling are not immediate since the administration will have until Dec. 11 to make an appeal.
