The President just fired the top commander of the DC National Guard

The top commander of the District of Columbia National Guard is going to be out of a job just as President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office.

A memo announcing the removal of Maj. Gen. Errol R. Schwartz was obtained by The Washington Post, which says the 65-year-old general will be out of a job at 12:01 p.m. on January 20. Schwartz confirmed the memo to the Post and said he would retire at that time, but did not know the reason for his dismissal.

Unlike other National Guard chiefs who are appointed and dismissed by the governors of their respective states, the chief of the District of Columbia's Guard reports directly to the president. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"I'm a soldier," Schwartz told The Post. "I'm a presidential appointee, therefore the president has the power to remove me."

Business Insider attempted to contact the National Guard Bureau for comment, but only reached a recording on the press number that directed journalists to call another number, which had another recording directing callers back to the previous number. The DC National Guard website does not have any contact information.

Schwartz has been in command of the D.C. Army and Air National Guard since 2008, where he has been responsible for approximately 2,700 soldiers and airmen. For the upcoming inauguration, he'll also be in charge of more than 5,000 troops from out of state that have been sent in to augment security.

It's unclear who would succeed Schwartz in the role. His current adjutant is Brig. Gen. Renwick L. Payne.