WASHINGTON, D.C. November 28, 2025 – In a poignant display of unity and resolve on the heels of Thanksgiving’s national mourning, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gathered National Guard troops in a dimly lit gymnasium at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling for a heartfelt prayer service honoring fallen Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and the critically injured Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe. The emotional ceremony, captured in a nearly three-minute video shared by the Department of War (DOW) Rapid Response account, underscores the Trump administration’s commitment to its service members as investigations into the brutal D.C. attack deepen, fueling calls for sweeping military reforms and heightened border vigilance.
The footage, timestamped late Friday evening and already surpassing 54,000 views with nearly 2,000 likes, shows Hegseth—clad in casual fatigues and flanked by his wife Jennifer—addressing rows of uniformed Guardsmen standing at attention beneath a massive U.S. Army emblem and American flag. The cavernous hall, adorned with blue bleachers and red curtains, echoed with solemnity as Hegseth invoked divine protection: “Lord, we come before You today with heavy hearts… for Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, who gave her last full measure… and for Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, who fights on.” Troops bowed their heads in a moment of silence, the weight of recent losses palpable in the air. Hegseth, a combat veteran and Fox News alum turned cabinet heavyweight, concluded with a rousing call to “stand firm” against threats, both foreign and domestic, drawing nods and murmured amens from the ranks.
Beckstrom’s death on Thursday from injuries sustained in the alleged Afghan-linked assault has gripped the nation, but Friday’s focus shifted to Wolfe, a 32-year-old father of three from Ohio, who remains in stable but serious condition at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after losing significant blood volume in the melee. Pentagon sources, speaking off-record, revealed Wolfe shielded comrades during the chaos, sustaining shrapnel wounds to his torso and limbs. “He’s a warrior through and through—pulling through for his kids,” one fellow Guardsman told reporters outside the base. The prayer event, organized spontaneously post-holiday, served as both memorial and morale booster, with Hegseth personally gripping hands and sharing stories of resilience amid the polished wooden floors and basketball hoops repurposed for reverence.
The gathering arrives amid a torrent of White House rhetoric on immigration and security, with President Trump’s Thanksgiving proclamations—halting Third World inflows and slashing Somali aid—casting a long shadow over the weekend. Conservative voices, including the DOW account, have amplified ties between the attack and “imported threats,” prompting Hegseth to echo the president’s urgency in pre-ceremony remarks: “We honor our heroes by securing our homeland—no more blood on American soil from unchecked borders.” Online, the video has ignited a wave of support: Chaplain America (@RealChapAmerica) urged Hegseth to champion “prayers in Jesus’ name” for chaplains stifled by prior policies, while I Love America News (@ILA_NewsX) demanded accountability for “the seditious six” in a nod to perceived Biden-era lapses. Veterans and families flooded replies with gratitude—”Prayers sent and honoring a hero, amen” from @Xbannedado79645—and vows of solidarity: “All law enforcement and military need to know we the American Born Citizens are with them,” posted @RobynDODonnell.
Yet, the moment wasn’t without controversy. Critics, including @SundaeDivine, resurfaced Hegseth’s past military record, questioning: “Did Hegseth also pray for the souls of the men he murdered in the fishing boat?”—a reference to unverified Iraq War allegations that Hegseth has long dismissed as smears. Progressive outlets decried the event as “militaristic theater” amid Trump’s deportation pledges, with one ACLU analyst tweeting, “Prayers are fine; policies that invite violence aren’t.” Supporters countered fiercely, sharing memes of Hegseth as a “true patriot” and calls to “arrest the real seditionists” in Democratic ranks.
As Black Friday shopping distracts the masses, this base-side vigil reaffirms the administration’s dual narrative: grief for the lost, grit for the fight ahead. The Pentagon has pledged enhanced protective gear and rapid-response training for urban deployments, while Wolfe’s family launched a GoFundMe that’s raised over $250,000 in hours. Hegseth departed with a final blessing, his voice resolute: “In God’s hands, we rebuild stronger.” For military families, it’s a beacon; for the nation, a reminder that freedom’s price endures. Updates on Wolfe’s condition expected Sunday. 🇺🇸