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 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 ...

By Maj. Benjamin Hughes REISTERSTOWN, Md. – The Maryland National Guard celebrated the start of construction on a $1.8 million turf field at the Camp Fretterd Military Reservation during a groundbreaking ceremony September 6, 2023. The construction of the 100% federally funded project will begin this fall and the turf field is scheduled to be completed next summer. The project includes installation ...

By Maj. Ben Hughes PERRYVILLE, Md. – The Maryland National Guard chaplains hosted a retreat for Soldiers, Airmen, and their families at the Great Wolf Lodge in Cecil County, Aug. 18-20, 2023. Guard members and their families enjoyed the water park facilities while also working on their relationships with their significant others during the Building Strong and Ready Teams event, also known ...

By Maj. Benjamin Hughes MIDDLE RIVER, Md. — The 175th Cyberspace Operations Group bid farewell to its out-going commander and welcomed its incoming commander during a change of command ceremony at Martin State Air National Guard Base, August 12, 2023. Brig. Gen. Reid Novotny passed the guidon to Col. Richard Hunt, 175th Wing commander, who then presented it to Col. Jason Barrass ...

By Sgt. 1st Class Chad Menegay | 29th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office FORT BELVOIR, Va. — Brig. Gen. Joseph DiNonno took command of the 29th Infantry Division from Maj. Gen. John Rhodes August 5, 2023, on the Long Parade Ground at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Maj. Gen. James Ring, the Adjutant General of the Virginia National Guard, presided over the exchange ...

By Senior Airman Alexandra Huettner and Spc. Christina Chang MUNIZ AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Puerto Rico —  35 Airmen from the Maryland Air National Guard worked alongside their counterparts in the Puerto Rico Air National Guard during their annual training on Muniz Air National Guard Base from July 22 to August 5, 2023, and helped improve the base’s network.   Members of the ...

by 1st. Lt. Dylan Bradford PHOENIX, Ariz. – A Maryland Army National Guard Soldier was recognized for his actions while attending training at the Western Army Aviation Training Site (WAATS) in Red Rock, Arizona. Staff Sgt. Charles Brauning, assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment of the 29th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, was awarded an Army Achievement Medal by WAATS ...

By 1st Lt. Dylan Bradford LAUREL, Md. – The Maryland Army National Guard’s 169th Cyber Protection Team (CPT) hosted a team-building cyber event for members of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH), at the Pvt. Henry Costin Readiness Center in Laurel, Maryland, July 10-14, 2023. The 169th CPT, a team of full-time cyber professionals established in 2017, gives the Maryland ...

By 1st Lt. Dylan Bradford HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. – More than 50 cadets of Class 60 of the Maryland National Guard Freestate ChalleNGe Academy graduated from the nearly six-month program at Havre de Grace High School, June 29, 2023. The program is designed to provide at-risk youth with academic, job, and life skills training with emphasis on positive values in a ...