A National Guard member who is part of the force protecting the U.S. Capitol has passed away, an official confirmed Thursday. “Joint Task Force District of Columbia is sad to confirm the death of a National Guard member serving with the U.S. Capitol security mission due to an apparent medical emergency,” a spokesperson for the joint task force told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement. The Guardsman was not on duty at the time of the death, which is under investigation. Officials are not releasing the name of the member, pending notification of next of kin. The spokesperson declined to share more details, referring The Epoch Times to the Metropolitan Police Department, Washington’s police force. That department didn’t respond to a request for additional information, such as the time and place of death. National Guardsmen were surged to the nation’s capital in January following the breach of the U.S. Capitol, …