Defense Force Plays Important Role
By Maj. (MD) Stephen Rice, Maryland Defense Force Public Affairs
As the Maryland National Guard Joint Staff works diligently to serve the state and combat the impacts of COVID-19, they are supported by members of the Maryland Defense Force. The Joint Staff serves as the Joint Force Headquarters for the MDNG, assisting the adjutant general in exercising authority and direction over the Maryland Military Department in order to accomplish state and federal missions.
“The MDDF personnel detailed to the MDNG Joint Staff are playing an important role for the State of Maryland. Their integration has facilitated the success of numerous statewide missions and we’re proud of the work that they continue to do,” said Brig. Gen. (MD) Gregory J. Juday, commanding general of the MDDF.
The MDDF contingent is led by Lt. Col. (MD) Fred Sanford who is also the commander of the MDDF Troop Command. “MDDF personnel, as part of the Joint Staff, have supported cyber missions, served on the Unclassified Processing Analysis and Dissemination team, and worked as plans and liaison officers,” according Sanford. “MDDF personnel bring a lot of skills and training to the Joint Staff at no cost to the state of Maryland.”
“The MDDF also helps to provide some institutional memory for the Joint Staff given MDNG personnel rotation schedules,” said Maj. (MD) Bryan Fischer, a MDDF member assigned to the Joint Staff. “As a plans officer, my job is to help anticipate the military and emergency management needs of the Maryland National Guard.”
Since the MDNG’s support of the state’s battle against the COVID-19 pandemic began in March, MDDF personnel have served over 2,000 hours as members of the MDNG Joint Staff team.
“I am forever in awe of the dedication of our MDDF compatriots who stand shoulder to shoulder with us as we serve Maryland,” said U.S. Army Col. Charles M. Blomquist, the chief of staff for the MDNG Joint Staff. “They provide a level of expertise and commitment that makes us proud to serve together whether for a domestic operation like a winter storm or the COVID-19 pandemic.”
His sentiments were echoed by U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Adam R. Flasch, the director of the Joint Staff. “The MDDF Team is a critical part of our Joint Staff manning. We simply could not execute the mission at the level or depth we have seen during Covid-19 without them. They are the very embodiment of selfless service,” Flasch added.
The Maryland Defense Force is the state’s uniformed volunteer militia branch that provides competent supplementary professional and technical support to the Maryland Military Department and the State of Maryland as needed. Established in 1917, the MDDF consists of nearly 200 personnel who perform legal, engineering, finance, medical, chaplain, field support, and ceremonial services for the State of Maryland. For more information: www.mddf.maryland.gov.
