The commander of the District of Columbia National Guard is going to be out of a job just as President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office.
A memo announcing the removal of Maj. Gen. Errol Schwartz obtained by The Washington Post says the 65-year-old general will be out of a job at 12:01 p.m. on January 20. Schwartz confirmed the memo to The Post and said that he would retire at that time but that he did not know the reason for his dismissal.
Unlike other National Guard chiefs, who are appointed and dismissed by the governors of their respective states, the chief of the District of Columbia’s guard reports directly to the president. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“I’m a soldier,” Schwartz told The Post. “I’m a presidential appointee, therefore the president has the power to remove me.”
Business Insider attempted to contact the National Guard Bureau for comment but reached a recording on the press number that directed journalists to call another number, which had a recording directing callers back to the previous number. The DC National Guard website does not list any contact information.
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