Two West Virginia National Guard members will receive the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army's most prestigious medal for noncombat heroism next week for actions during a targeted attack in Washington, D.C., last November, three defense officials tell Newsmax.
Air Force Maj. Edwin Stanfield will be awarded the Airman's Medal and Army Maj. Ryan S. Reynolds will be awarded the Soldier's Medal on Monday in a ceremony hosted by War Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon.
The medals recognize courage that goes above and beyond the call of duty, often at personal risk of life, in a noncombat situation.
"True valor is not strictly confined to the battlefield; it is found in the sudden, spontaneous courage to run toward danger, moving to the sound of the guns to protect the innocent," Eric Geressy, senior adviser to the secretary of war, told Newsmax Thursday.
"Through their selfless and decisive actions to neutralize a critical threat, Maj. Stanfield and Maj. Reynolds embodied the highest ideals of the military profession," he added.
On Nov. 26, 2025, two members of the West Virginia National Guard were shot in an ambush while patrolling Washington, D.C., just blocks from the White House. President Donald Trump called the attack an "act of terror."
U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom died from injuries sustained during the attack. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe has been in rehabilitation and recovery after receiving severe injuries during the ambush.
During the attack, Reynolds and Stanfield sprang to action to subdue the alleged attacker, with Reynolds shooting him and Stanfield stabbing him in the leg with a pocketknife, according to one of the defense officials.
Police later arrested Rahmanullah Lakanwal for the attack. Lakanwal allegedly drove from Washington state to the nation's capital to target the service members.
Lakanwal came to the United States in 2021 after working with the CIA for more than a decade in his home country of Afghanistan.
Lakanwal pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include first-degree murder. His next hearing in the case is set for next month.
In February, Trump awarded the Purple Heart to Beckstrom and Wolfe during the State of the Union address. West Virginia Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Jim Seward awarded the medals to Wolfe and Beckstrom's family while the president spoke.
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