Maryland Guard Cyber Team Strengthens Partnership with Bosnia and Herzegovina
by Capt. Dylan Bradford
ADELPHI, Md. – Cyber Protection Team 169 (CPT 169) of the Maryland Army National Guard partnered with members of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH) for a cyber knowledge exchange at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Sept. 2–9, 2025.
The weeklong military-to-military event conducted through the State Partnership Program brought together Soldiers and cyber professionals from both nations to share tactics, techniques, and procedures while strengthening their ability to defend against evolving digital threats.
“This exchange was designed to develop core tasks that our team is involved with: hunt, clear, harden, and assess,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jason Memmo, a cyber warfare technician with CPT 169. “We practiced hunt methodologies using free and open-source tools that can be leveraged in real-world scenarios, searching for indicators of system compromises in a simulated environment.”
The exchange allowed both teams to compare how they approach common challenges in cyberspace, gaining insight into different processes and capabilities.
“It’s fantastic to see how a different organization is developing their TTPs and to share experiences,” said Memmo.
The Maryland National Guard and Bosnia and Herzegovina have been connected through the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program since 2003, and CPT 169 has worked closely with the AFBiH Cyber Operations Center over the past several years. These recurring exchanges have fostered not only technical growth but also personal and professional relationships.
By the conclusion of the exchange, both partners had improved their ability to detect and mitigate network intrusions, while laying the groundwork for future cooperation.
“One of the best aspects of this partnership is seeing the relationship develop,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Samuel Bachler, also a cyber warfare technician with CPT 169. “Every time we come together, we build trust, we learn more from each other, and we continue to strengthen the team.”
