National Guard

By Staff Sgt. Julian Kemper  175th WG – Maryland Air National Guard MIDDLE RIVER, Md. – The day before Thanksgiving, most people are thinking about a short list of things to do – ensuring the turkey is thawed, cleaning the house for a family visit, or preparing for a long trip to see relatives. For Maryland Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Brooke ...

By Master Sgt. Chris Schepers RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — Name: SrA Elizabeth Quigg Location: Born and raised in Bel Air, Maryland. Currently reside in Ramstein, Germany Unit: 135th Intelligence Squadron State you serve in: Maryland Awards: 2023 Maryland Society Sons of the American Revolution – Maryland 400 Distinguished Service Medal ACC Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Awards Program (AFISRAP) Outstanding Air Reserve ...

By Master Sgt. Chris Schepers MARTIN STATE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Md. — Why did you decide to join? Do you come from a military family? Neither of my parents served in the military, however, my maternal grandfather served in the Navy and my paternal grandfather served in the Army Air Corps as a gunner on the B-24 and B-17. ...

Lt. Col. Mathew Ortega, a chaplain in Joint Force Headquarters who originally enlisted in the Marine Corps as an infantryman in 1998. Why did you decide to join? Do you come from a military family?I come from a military family. My grandfather served during WWII. I have Uncles, cousins, and my father-in-law that served during Vietnam. Three of my kids ...

By 1st Lt Paul Jeong EDGEWOOD, Md. – Maryland Army National Guard Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, supported local law enforcement in the apprehension of a suspect who breached the security gate at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) – South on September 30, 2023. The incident began at approximately 3:10 p.m. when a suspect, allegedly driving at high speed, breached ...

The Maryland National Guard is ready to assist local and state emergency agencies in response to potential impacts from heavy rains and flooding with light/medium tactical vehicles for evacuation transportation. BALTIMORE — At the direction of Gov. Wes Moore, the Maryland National Guard has activated 22 Soldiers on state active duty who will have nine military vehicles ready in Somerset and ...

By 1st Sgt. Thaddeus Harrington ÄMARI AIR BASE, Estonia – The Maryland Air National Guard partnered with Estonia’s Cyber Command Sept. 17-20 to host the cybersecurity exercise Baltic Blitz 23.  About 30 Airmen from the 175th Wing, two Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers, 12 service members from Poland, and 30 Estonians participated in the exercise, which centered around securing simulated rail transportation ...

By 1st Sgt. Thaddeus Harrington The Maryland National Guard and the Estonian Defense Forces celebrate 30 years of partnership during a ceremony on Sept. 19, 2023, at Ämari Air Base, Harijumaa, Estonia. This partnership began in 1993 following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and a newly independent Estonia. It aimed to assist with the Baltic state’s transition to ...

By 1st Sgt. Thaddeus Harrington RUTJA, Estonia – Soldiers from the Maryland Army National Guard’s 175th Infantry Regiment shared their expertise in ambush tactics with members of the Estonian Defence League in Estonia. The training was conducted in rotations Sept. 16-18, with each squad of eight to 10 soldiers learning how to set up, react to and plan ambushes. After training with ...

By Maj. Stephen Rice On September 16, 2023, the Maryland Defense Force’s (MDDF) 256th Cyber Defense Unit (CDU) was recognized by Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead, the adjutant general for Maryland for placing third at the inaugural Cyber Exercise and Competition hosted by the State Guard Association of the United States (SGAUS). This “capture the flag” competition was sponsored by the SGAUS Cyber ...

By Spc. Joshua Whitaker MARTINSBURG, West Virginia – Maryland National Guard members of the 32nd Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Team (WMD-CST) partnered with the Airmen from the 167th Airlift Wing, West Virginia Air National Guard, to conduct a deployment readiness exercise from September 5-8, 2023. The 32nd CST responds to chemical, biological, radioactive, nuclear, and high-yield explosive (CBRNE) threats inside the ...