OCTOBER 10, 2025 — A routine patrol near the Washington Monument turned into a moment of human connection late in the evening on Oct. 6, when two National Guard Airmen helped reunite a lost child with his parents amid the bustling crowds of the National Mall.
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Richard Kramer and Airman Devontae Taylor recovered a lost child near the Washington Monument. Both Airmen are with the 172nd Airlift Wing, Mississippi Air National Guard, deployed in Washington, D.C. with the 112th Military Police Battalion, Mississippi National Guard, Task Force Magnolia.
Kramer and Taylor were on a routine security patrol near the Washington Monument when they were approached by a mother and father frantically stating that they could not locate their 14-year-old son. Kramer immediately alerted local law enforcement, but the two Airmen located the child and reunited him with this family before law enforcement could arrive.
“While patrolling along the block of Constitution Ave. and 17th St. NW, we were approached by the parents of a missing boy, and we instantly sprung into action,” said Taylor. “Tech. Sgt. Kramer started asking the mother which direction the child went and how long he had been missing. Then he took the mother to notify a secret service agent who was parked directly across the street so he could then notify other agencies to start looking for the missing child.”
Noticing the mother’s panic, Taylor assured her that they would assist in finding her child. She gave the two Airmen a photo of her child, and Taylor instantly started walking two blocks east and circled around the block, but didn’t spot the child.
Taylor then thought the boy might have run toward the Washington Monument, so he let Kramer know where he was going and started off that way. As Taylor approached the monument, he spotted a child, who fit the description that he was given, running in the opposite direction. Taylor told the child to come to him and the child looked back and then kept going. Taylor ran after him, and he was able to catch up to the boy.
Meeting him at eye level, Taylor told the teenager that his parents were looking for him and that he should not run off like that. Taylor proceeded to tell the child that he needed to stay near his mom and dad. With a sigh of relief, Taylor safely escorted him back to his parents.
The reunion came shortly after as his dad ran up and hugged him. The parents thanked Taylor and Kramer for their quick reaction and assistance in this happy ending. With much gratitude, the father said to the Airmen, “You are heroes. I love you, we love you. Thank you forever.”
Taylor was instantly reminded of his own children, and he knew that he needed to find the child and didn’t hesitate to spring into action.
“I’m glad we found the child safe and we were able to get him back to his parents effectively helping to make D.C. a better, safer place,” said Taylor. “That’s what we were brought here for; that’s what we signed up for; and I’m glad to have played my part in it.”
Kramer had a sense of pride with his involvement in the incident and believed Taylor’s quick action led to a quick resolution to a frantic situation.
“We reunited the parents with their child thanks to Taylor’s quick thinking and correct judgment calls which led him in the right direction,” said Kramer. “Both parents were extremely grateful that we were in the right place at the right time.”
For one family, that right place and right time meant a safe ending—and a memory of kindness in the shadow of one of America’s most iconic landmarks.
Shortly after the family was reunited, U.S. Army Col. Larry Doane, Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, District of Columbia National Guard, approached the Airmen while on patrol, and they told him what had just occurred.
“That’s why we’re here; that’s the job that we’re doing out here; assisting and protecting the public and assisting local law enforcement,” Doane replied.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Steven Jackson, commander of Joint Task Force Magnolia, MSNG, also noticed the outstanding action of both Taylor and Kramer.
“The exemplary efforts of our two Airmen in assisting a lost child represent a commendable act of selfless service,” said Jackson. “Preservation of life is a core responsibility for all servicemen and women supporting the Washington, D.C. initiatives, and ensuring the safe return of the child was the mission.”
The National Guard Airmen are in the District as part of the ongoing support mission for the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force. While their orders typically center on security and patrols, both said the incident reminded them of the broader meaning of service.
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Renee Seruntine
102d Public Affairs Detachment