National Guard members Andrew Wolfe and the late Sarah Beckstrom, who were shot near Farragut Square in Washington, DC, were awarded the Purple Heart by US president Donald Trump.
Wolfe, accompanied by his mother, attended Trump's State of the Union address, seated across the aisle from the family of the late Sarah Beckstrom.
Pentagon officials had announced in early February that both National Guard members would receive the Purple Heart, as cited by ABC News.
In November of last year, Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe and Army Spc Sarah Beckstrom, both with the West Virginia National Guard, were shot during an ambush while on patrol near the White House in Washington, DC.
Beckstrom, 20, was killed in the attack, while Wolfe, 24, sustained critical injuries but survived. An Afghan national arrested in connection with the shooting pleaded not guilty to federal charges earlier this month.
Wolfe received the Purple Heart in the House Chamber, with the medal pinned to his lapel. Beckstrom’s family was presented with a posthumous Purple Heart on her behalf.
"With God's help, Andrew has battled back from the edge of death," the US president said.
"After a four-month deployment, she voluntarily extended her service and her rank was going to be lifted," Trump said of Beckstrom. "She was doing so well, they were so proud of her. But the very next day, she was on patrol near the White House when she was ambushed and shot in the head by a terrorist monster from Afghanistan. Shouldn't have been in our country. And all because she wore the uniform of our nation, she was shot."
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who was injured in the attack, has been charged in connection with the shooting. He has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody. Authorities stated that he drove from his home in Washington state to carry out the attack.
Lakanwal, 29, arrived in the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, the Biden administration programme that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
During the address, Trump also honored several other US service members and an Olympic athlete with awards including the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Legion of Merit, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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