Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has ordered flags around Iowa to be lowered to half-staff in remembrance of a recently killed National Guard soldier.
Reynolds issued the statewide order on Thursday, Dec. 4, to honor Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, a West Virginia National Guard soldier who was killed in a shooting by an Afghan national near the White House in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 26. Reynolds’ order aligns with President Donald Trump’s proclamation to lower flags to half-staff on all public buildings, military bases, naval facilities and Navy ships across the United States and Washington, D.C.
Reynolds ordered flags in Iowa to be lowered to half-staff until sunset, Dec. 4. Here’s what to know.
Who was Sarah Beckstrom?
Beckstrom, 20, of Summersville, West Virginia, died on Thanksgiving, a day after being shot in an attack by Rahmanullah Lakanwal. A second National Guard member, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was also shot in the ambush and remains in “serious condition,” according to West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
Both Beckstrom and Wolfe were members of the West Virginia National Guard deployed to the nation’s capital as part of Trump’s effort to fight crime in D.C. Lakanwal, 29, is charged with first-degree murder in the attack. He served with CIA-backed paramilitary groups in Afghanistan that carried out secret raids against suspected terrorists.
Lakanwal and his wife and five children entered the United States in 2021 through “Operation Allies Welcome,” a special visa program initially set up to evacuate vulnerable Afghans and their families, who had cooperated with U.S. forces during a decades-long war in Afghanistan.
Lakanwal and his family resettled in Bellingham, Washington, according to USA TODAY.
Why are flags at half-staff in Iowa?
Flying the American flag at half-staff is symbolic of a nation in mourning. Generally, flags have been flown at half-staff for the deaths of major officeholders and for days of remembrance like Memorial Day or the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Recently, Reynolds has issued flags at half-staff in Iowa for the death of the 46th U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and a former state lawmaker from Marshalltown.
What’s the difference between half-mast and half-staff for flags?
Half-mast is used when the flag is flown from a flagpole, typically referring to a ship mast or similar structures, according to Federal Flags. Half-mast means the flag is flown two-thirds up between the top and bottom of the flagstaff.
Half-staff is the term used for flags on land, particularly in the United States. Half-staff describes a flag that is raised halfway, between the top and bottom of the flagpole.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Why are flags at half-staff today? Gov. Kim Reynolds issues new order
Reporting by Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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