MDDF Soldier, NCO and Officer of the Year to be Honored at Annual Muster

Article by Maryland Defense Force Maj. Stephen Rice

On April 24, 2021, the Maryland Defense Force’s soldier, non-commissioned officer, and officer of the year will be recognized at the MDDF Annual Muster. All three honorees will be presented with formal resolutions from the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland Senate signed by Delegate Adrienne A. Jones, speaker of the House of Delegates, and Senator Bill Ferguson, president of the Senate. Each honoree will also receive a gubernatorial citation signed by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.

Spc. (MD) Riley P. McGeehan is the MDDF soldier of the year, Staff Sgt. (MD) Michael J. Schafer is the MDDF NCO of the year, and Lt. Col. (MD) Isadore Beattie is the MDDF officer of the year. Each awardee will also compete for nationwide honors from the State Guard Association of the United States amongst recipients from other state defense forces.

McGeehan joined the MDDF in 2019 and serves as the supply NCO for the 231st Troop Command. He earned the basic Military Emergency Management Specialist badge and received the adjutant general’s special recognition ribbon during his short tenure. In his civilian career, he is a data center engineer for the Exelon Corporation in Baltimore, Maryland.

“Spc. (MD) McGeehan has been our supply NCO for approximately six months and has done an exceptional job all around. His work ethic and volunteerism are second to none,” said Lt. Col. (MD) Frederick L. Sanford, commander of the 231st Troop Command. “He always has a can-do attitude and he never complains.”

Staff Sgt. (MD) Michael J. Schafer has served as the front-line recruiter for the MDDF for over six years. Schafer has also been awarded the basic Military Emergency Management Specialist badge when he was called to state active duty during the 2015 civil unrest in Baltimore. More recently, Schafer has worked to support the Maryland National Guard’s fight against COVID-19. As a civilian, Schafer is a regional recruiter for Radnet in Windsor Mill, Maryland.

“In addition to his efforts as the MDDF’s top recruiter, Staff Sgt. (MD) Schafer further demonstrated his commitment by volunteering as the personnel administrative NCO as part of the Maryland National Guard Joint Staff,” said Lt. Col. (MD) Kirk A. Pietsch.

For nearly 15 years, Lt. Col. (MD) Isadore Beattie has led the MDDF in the training, standardization, and inspection of Maryland Army National Guard installations. These Installation Status Reports are required by the National Guard Bureau on an annual basis. The facility reports are essential in assisting the Maryland National Guard’s planning and modernization efforts. Beattie joined the MDDF in 2006 and spearheaded the completion of several major projects as commander of the 121st Engineer Regiment’s construction unit. Beattie has also co-led an infrastructure management course at the University of Maryland since 2014.

“Lt. Col. (MD) Beattie leads and instructs professional engineers in all aspects of inspections, safety and reporting in support of not only recurring facility inspections but also in support of emergency responses to natural disasters,” said Col. (MD) Edward A. Hubner, commander of the 121st Engineer Regiment. “He continually leads the unit in volunteer hours each year. His dedication to the unit and the MDDF should be an example to all.”

In his civilian capacity, Beattie works in the Maryland Military Department’s Command Facility Management Office in Baltimore, Maryland.

“The honorees this year are especially deserving because they have all stepped-up during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been a difficult year, but crises can reveal character. The citizens of Maryland should be very proud that these volunteers are dedicated, capable, and motivated to help the state get through a very difficult period,” said Brig. Gen. (MD) Gregory J. Juday, commanding general of the MDDF.

The Maryland Defense Force (MDDF) is the state’s uniformed volunteer militia unit providing competent, supplementary, professional and technical support, and soldiers 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.