National Guard troops from Roanoke eager to return home from protecting U.S. Capitol They left their families at a moment’s notice to serve the nation Tags: Two troops from Roanoke left their families at a moment’s notice to serve the nation. Twelve-hour shifts and at times the weather was a bit chilly, troops found ways to stay warm. “A lot of us share the wealth mentality as far as getting hand warmers, coffee, gloves, stuff like that,” Sergeant Thomas Johnson said. After the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, First Lieutenant Jonathan Shelton found himself leaving a message for his wife at work saying he needs to go.