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 ...

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 ...