Republican war veteran gives Guard troops a tour of the Capitol

Hundreds of National Guard troops are essentially being quartered in the Capitol as part of the sharp escalation in security around the complex following last week’s violence.

As they await their next shift, many are sleeping in various nooks of the Capitol, while others are wandering the hallways, many of them for the first time.

Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), an Army veteran who lost both legs in Afghanistan, is helping facilitate their introduction to the elaborate building, giving a tour to roughly two dozen troops on Wednesday morning, just hours before the House is expected to impeach President Trump for the second time in his tenure.

First stop was Statuary Hall, a domed room — marble-lined and encircled with statues of historic figures — that once served as the House chamber. It is, Mast told the group, his favorite room in the building.

The troops then took a few minutes to wander the chamber. As they roamed, several Black service members gathered around the sculpture of Rosa Parks, the civil rights hero, and took a group photo.

Then they were off to the Rotunda.