President and first lady thank National Guard after troops leave US Capitol

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden on Monday thanked the National Guard troops who were deployed at the US Capitol for the past several months as their mission ended at the Capitol grounds on Sunday.

"Since the insurrection on January 6, thousands of proud service members, from states and territories all across our Union, have stood watch over the citadel of our democracy. As they return now to their homes and families, we salute each of them for their commitment to country," the Bidens wrote in a statement. The Bidens added: "When duty calls, our National Guard members put their lives on hold to stand as a shield and a support when their country is in need. We've asked so much of our Guard over the past year, not only defending our Capitol, but supporting our fight against COVID-19, responding to storm damage and wildfires, and deploying internationally to support peacekeeping missions."