The Forgotten Front 

Story and photos by Spc. Loni Kingston, 29th Mobile Public

Affairs Detachment

Maryland Military DepartmentDigest

It has been 11 years since the leaders of Bosnia, Croatia and

Serbia signed a cease-fire agreement that halted the war in

Bosnia. But the damage was done. More than 200,000 people

perished during the conflict. The war was devastating and the

scars are visible to this day.

According to Lt. Col. Phillip “Randy” Brown, the commander of the 175th Medical Group (175th Med. Grp.), Maryland Air National Guard, the economy took a huge hit after the

war. Fifty percent of the population are without jobs. The people of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) are under resourced, they

Fall 2006

Michael S. Steele

Lt. Governor

Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.

Governor

Master Sgt. Sophia Didley, 175th Medical Group, Maryland Air National Guard examines a patient while in Bosnia. 

Continued on page 3

In This Issue...

• Unity Day (page 4)

• Border Mission (page 7)

• MD Assists With Repatriation

(page 9)

• Honor Guard (page 13)
TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE MARYLAND MILITARY DEPARTMENT:

Autumn is now upon us and this continues to be a very busy time for the Department both here at home and

abroad. The Department continues to perform its dual high tempo federal and state missions unabated. During

the summer, the Department supported President Bush’s Border Initiative by sending members of the Maryland

National Guard to Arizona and New Mexico as part of Operation Jump Start.

When the Israeli-Lebanese conflict broke out, the U.S. Government made arrangements to repatriate stranded

American citizens from Lebanon. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport was selected as

the port of entry. Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., directed the implementation of the State’s Repatriation Plan at

the request of the U.S. Government. The Maryland Emergency Management Agency coordinated the efforts of

other state departments and agencies to assist with lodging, communications, food, medical and transportation.

More than 5,000 Americans came through the airport and were greeted and assisted by state, local and non-government services to their final destinations. Members of the Maryland National Guard volunteered to assist

those returning. I salute all members of the Department who participated in this noble event.

The humanitarian medical mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina undertaken in July by the 175th Medical Group of the

Maryland Air National Guard and health care professionals from the Maryland Defense Force was a rousing success. Working in two-week increments, the teams provided medical treatment to Bosnian citizens living in

remote areas. Many of the people who came for help had never seen or been treated by a health care professional. At the conclusion of the mission, the team saw and cared for approximately 2,083 patients in 17 villages.

This was the first instance of the MDDF being mobilized and deployed for a mission outside of the United States.

BG (MD) Fred Smalkin is stepping down as commander of the MDDF. The torch has been passed to newly promoted BG (MD) Courtney Wilson. General Smalkin oversaw many of the dynamic changes within MDDF and

saw elements of his organization deploy outside of Maryland to the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This deployment was historic, as was the deployment of 10th Medical Regiment Teams to Bosnia. Fred’s

dedication and resourcefulness on behalf of his command were outstanding and will be missed. General Wilson,

who was the former MDDF Chief of Staff, is uniquely suited for this command. He has a tough act to follow, but

I have complete confidence in his ability to successfully lead the MDDF.

Hurricane season for the Mid-Atlantic states does not end until 1 December. While we have not been directly

impacted this year, we are still vulnerable to other severe weather phenomena. Hurricanes and tropical storms

that strike other areas of the country can affect our weather patterns and can spawn floods and tornadoes. The

Ehrlich-Steele Administration has inaugurated a statewide emergency preparedness campaign called Family First.

The purpose of this program is to help our citizens prepare for the next emergency or disaster. MEMA is one of

the main participants in this important effort and you will see more information as the campaign progresses.

There is information in this issue, which will be useful in helping you to prepare.

I had the opportunity to visit BG Leacock and more than 260 Maryland Army National Guard Soldiers serving

our country as part of the task force guarding the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. They are doing a fantastic job. Please continue to include them in your thoughts and prayers for a successful mission and safe return. 

Schools are now back in session. This requires additional caution when driving to avoid accidents causing

injuries and deaths. October also is Fire Prevention Month and members of the Department need to take all

precautions to protect themselves and their loved ones. Vacation season is over and we are engaged on many

different fronts, keep up your good work and we will continue to succeed. Godspeed.

Respectfully,

Bruce F. Tuxill

Major General, MDANG

The Adjutant General

Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.

Governor

Michael S. Steele

Lt. Governor

Maj. Gen. Bruce F. Tuxill

Adjutant General

Fifth Regiment Armory Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Digest: Fall, 2006 3

don’t have access to medical care; at

least not to the level they should,

explained Brown.

In July the 175th Medical Group

spent a month in BiH, a country partnered with Maryland in the National

Guard’s State Partnership Program.

While in the Balkan country unit members administered basic aid to local villages as part of their annual training.

The humanitarian effort was a joint

effort that combined members of the

Maryland Air National Guard and Maryland Defense Force (MDDF) with Bosnian soldiers and translators. It was the

first mission of its kind. And it was the

first time the MDDF deployed overseas.

Approximately 80 members of the

Maryland Military Department ventured

to BiH as part of a humanitarian relief

mission. Among the group were dentists,

optometrists, physicians, physicians’

assistants, medics and nurses, many of

whom perform their job on the civilian

side as well.

Most of these people do their job on

a daily basis and are good at their job on

the civilian side, according to Brown.

The mission gave the troops an

opportunity to do something different

than the normal annual training, said

Master Sgt. John Wissman, acting first

sergeant of the 175th Med. Grp.

Preparation for this mission was

extensive.

“We embarked upon two site surveys, worked with local non-government

organizations, with the local embassy

and officials from Eagle Base, Tuzla.

[We] went out and selected sites, we

went to each area and selected schools

and/or community centers to set up the

medical mission,” said Lt. Col. Steven

Benden, commander of the 175th Security Forces Squadron, Maryland Air

National Guard.

A reconnaissance team was sent

to BiH a week

before the first medical teams to make

sure the sites were

ready, said Senior

Master Sgt. Steve

Bloodsworth, senior

health technician for

the 175th Med. Grp.

“Flyers and

radio announcements were made to

inform the Bosnians

of the mission,” said

Bloodsworth.

“United States Air

Forces in Europe

provided $70,000 that was utilized for

medication.”

Each day the group would travel to

individual villages and set up a makeshift

clinic, making due with what was available to them.

Triage was the first stop for incoming

patients. Interpreters were present to

help patients fill out paperwork that

described the patients’ medical issues.

Once they were finished with their “inprocessing” they were sent to the appropriate clinic: dental, optometry, general

practice or urgent care. In many

instances, patients were seen at more

than one clinic.

Each clinic saw its

fair share of patients

with their fare share of

problems.

“Small children

have rampant decay; a

lot of adults are already

missing many of their

teeth,” said Lt. Col. Rita

Kurek, a dentist with

the 175th Med. Grp.

“My job is to provide basic dental care,

help them understand

what is causing their

decay and teach them

preventative measures,” said Kurek.

Medical laboratory

technician, Staff Sgt.

Robert Davis of the

175th Med. Grp. said

that the major medical

issues that he saw were diabetes and urinary tract infections.

The medical laboratory technicians

provided chemistry testing to further

assess the patients’ conditions.

Once they have been treated they

either went to the pharmacy for medication or out-processed.

People walked for miles to reach the

clinic; in some instances they walked all

day to receive medical care.

“There is practically no health care

available,” said Semsudin Mujic, president of the village of Luka.

On an average day medics saw

approximately 200 people. 

“It’s a drop in a bucket, but it’s a

drop,” said Brown. “It’s a step in the

right direction. You have to start somewhere.”

“If we help one man, we help the

whole world,” said Adem Ustrlic, municipality representative, Bonovici, BiH.

The fulfillment these service members have gained during this mission is

immeasurable, said Brown.

“Seeing the faces of those people

who have received care is totally rewarding,” said Wissman.

“I think we all want purpose in life

and this is definitely a purpose,” said

Brown.

The mission was meant to accomplish two things; provide Airmen with

training and to provide medical relief to

those in need.

“We are here to train and to make

ourselves better medics, but sometimes I

think making yourself better can actually

help others and that’s why we are here,”

said Brown.

Col. (Md.) Robert A. Barish (right) of the MDDF confers with a Bosnian

doctor while treating a local citizen.

Tech. Sgt. Rachelle Jones, 175th Medical Group, helps a patient

relax during her visit to a clinic.

The Forgotten

Front 

Continued from page 1
4 Maryland Military Department

Unity Day a Success!

After a year of hard work and 

planning Maryland National 

Guard Unity Day took place on 

September 14. 

A first for Maryland, Unity Day

offered members of the Maryland Military Department the opportunity to get

together and learn about many other cultures at once and in one place.

In the past different cultures and

topics would be represented during

MDNG sponsored lunches that would

take place during specific months of the

year.

“We spent so much time on these

[monthly lunches]. It was like planning

five weddings a year,” said Lt. Col. Jan

Burke, MDNG state equal employment

manager. Burke directed the planning

and execution of Unity Day. Burke concedes the idea to consolidate the individual events into a single large event was

not her own.

“We got the idea from my SEEM

[state equal employment manager]

counterpart in New Jersey,” said Burke.

Burke then presented her

chain of command with the

single event idea and they

bought off on it.

Burke and members of the

Unity Day committee made

trips in June 2005 and 2006 to

the New Jersey National

Guard’s Unity Day in order to

get ideas that would help them

plan Maryland’s.

Planning was not without its

obstacles said Burke. Issues

such as where and when were

some of the big challenges.

According to Burke the Fifth

Regiment Armory in Baltimore

was chosen because of its centralized location, large drill

floor and the fact that a large

amount of employees worked

there. September was decided

on because it would give the

committee the time they

needed to plan and it would

be far enough out of the summer annual training period.

Other obstacles, such as finding parking for the expected

400 plus attendees crept up

during the year. However,

these were more easily overcome than one might expect,

according to standing committee member Dave Glenn, Maryland Military Department professional

development and educational training

officer.

“I went downtown and talked to the

Baltimore Parking Authority about parking for the event,” said Glenn. “The City

kept its promise and marked off 200

spaces.”

More than 400 people attended the

event which celebrated the significant

contributions from such diverse groups

as African Americans, Federal Women,

Asian Pacific Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans and Disabled

Americans. The event also featured food,

artifacts, information and entertainment

representing the different groups.

Also in attendance was keynote

speaker Kristen Cox, secretary of the

Maryland Department of Disabilities as

well as more than 80 Freestate ChalleNGe Cadets who helped set-up and

run the event.

Burke credits the success of the

event to her committee and volunteers.

“I have an incredibly motivated and creative committee,” she said. “I’m amazed

at the positive energy exuded by the

standing committee and volunteers.”

Plans are already underway for 

next years Unity Day. If you’d like to volunteer contact Lt. Col. Jan Burke at 

410-576-6045.

Fifth Regiment Armory drill floor during Unity Day.

Plastic sheeting - $1, Pie pan - $.50, Whipped cream -

$1.20, Hitting your boss in the face with a pie – Priceless

Brig. Gen. Charles A. Morgan III, assistant adjutant general for air, takes one for the team as Brig. Gen. Guy M.

Walsh, MDANG 175th wing commander, puts “whipped

cream on target” during Unity Day activities.
Digest: Fall, 2006 5

The wind wasn’t the only thing

blowing hard last week at the Boeing Plant in Ridley Park, Pa. On a

sunny but blustery day in Philadelphia, a

CH-47D Chinook helicopter and her

crew from the Maryland Army National

Guard took center stage. The aircraft,

crewed by Chief Warrant Officer 4 Sam

Thomas, Capt. David Magness, Staff Sgt.

Jeffery Potter, and Staff Sgt. Gene Dalporto, made a full traffic pattern over a

crowd of nearly 1,000 Soldiers, guests

and Boeing employees before executing

a perfect landing to a hover and dropping off its Humvee cargo on the

intended target. The Chinook had carried the Humvee from its base in Edgewood, Md. that morning, suspended

externally by its three powerful cargo

hooks underneath the belly of the aircraft. After shutdown, the helicopter was

moved to its display position, beside its

future replacement, the CH-47F Chinook

model. 

The CH-47F model rollout ceremony

that took place in Philidelphia marked

the upgrade of the Army’s premier

heavy-lift helicopter, the CH-47 Chinook.

The Chinook is the fastest helicopter in

the Army’s inventory, and can carry loads

equal to its own empty weight, either

internally or externally. The “F” model,

features better avionics, moving map

navigational technology, and a stronger

airframe that’s easier to

maintain than its older “D”

model counterpart. With

its vast capability - first

realized more than 40

years ago with the first “A”

model during the Vietnam

era - and its historic track

record, the Army has

decided to extend the life

of the Chinook program

well into the 21st century

with its newest upgrade –

the “F” model. For the

next 20-30 years, “F”

model Chinooks will dominate the skies of the

future battlefield as they

have since the early

1960’s. 

“It’s about protecting

human life,” said U.S. Congressman Curt Weldon (RPa.). “It’s imperative that

our Soldiers have the very

best equipment that our

nation can provide them,

and you great Americans

here at Boeing have done

just that today!” 

The juxtaposition

could not have been more

striking, seeing the two

behemoth aircraft side by

side – the F model, scheduled for fielding during

the summer to the Army’s 101st Airborne Division, next to the D model

from Maryland’s National Guard. But it

was Maryland’s Chinook that stole the

show, having performed masterfully earlier that morning. Following the ceremony, crowds gathered at each aircraft,

and were treated to a thorough walkthru by the expert crew members on

board. It was an important milestone in

Army aviation, and a job well done by all

involved.

MDDF Establishes Engineer Corps

1st Lt. (Md.) Michael Nolan, MDDF 

A Maryland Army National Guard Chinook carries a Maryland

Army National Guard Humvee prior to the CH-47F rollout ceremony.

The Maryland Defense Force

(MDDF), one of the four pillars of the

Maryland Military Department, has

recently established an engineering directorate. The new MDDF Engineer Corps is

a welcomed and necessary addition to the

well-trained and established finance,

legal, chaplain, and medical directorates;

and furthers the goal of adding additional

areas of expertise in expanded and newly

established mission support units, as laid

out in the agency’s five-year plan. The

new Engineer Corps mission area was formally established in April and has

adopted the vision of maintaining a capable and mobilization-ready unit to

respond to state or local emergencies

requiring engineering expertise, such as

disaster evaluation and recovery. The unit

also will provide ongoing professional

engineering support to the Maryland

National Guard. 

“I’m excited the MDDF Engineer

Corps will be here to provide service to

Maryland,” said Col. (Md.) Brian Kelm,

MDDF Engineer Corps commander. “We

will work hard to recruit well-qualified

and highly motivated personnel into the

Corps.” Kelm is a retired U.S. Navy captain who served 26 years in the Navy’s

Civil Engineer Corps and also is a professional engineer, licensed to practice in

Maryland.

Retired active duty or Guard personnel with construction and engineering

experience are needed, so if you are interested or know somebody who is motivated and qualified to serve or continue

to serve the State of Maryland and the

Maryland Military Department, please email Col. (Md.) Kelm at: bkelm@mddf.us

The MDDF Engineer Corps expects to be

staffed and providing high quality engineering support by fall of this year, fulfilling its ultimate mission as defined by the

MDDF motto “Officio Vocante Parati”,

“Ready When Called”. 

Chinook

Rollout

Maj. Michael Krause

Executive Officer, 1-224th Aviation

Security and Support Battalion
6 Maryland Military Department

Marriage Enrichment Retreat

USPFO Receives Veteran’s Affairs Award

The stresses of everyday military life

can put a lot of strain on a marriage. Add a deployment or two

and even the best of marriages can be

tested.

For this reason the Department of

the Army has directed that marriage

enrichment programs be offered to service members.

“You don’t wait for your car to breakdown before you get the oil changed,”

said Chap. (Col.) Sean Lee, Joint Forces

Headquarters chaplain.

Four Maryland National Guard

(MDNG) sponsored Marriage Enrichment Retreats have taken place since the

program began in September 2005.

Lee explained that a common misconception about the retreats is that they

are counseling or therapy oriented when

in fact they are focused on marriage

enhancement.

“This is about maintenance,” said

Lee. 

The retreats utilize the Prevention

and Relationship Enhancement Program

(PREP) which was developed by the University of Denver after tracking married

couples over a 20 year period. PREP is a

skills and principles-building curriculum

designed to help partners say what they

need to say, get to the heart of problems,

and increase their connection with each

other. According to Lee PREP is the marriage program mandated by the Department of the Army.

“This is the only empirically based

enhancement program out there,” said

Lee.

Sponsored by the MDNG Family

Readiness Group, and administered by

the MDNG Chaplain’s Office the weekend-long retreats offer instruction on

ways to improve marital relationships,

cope with separation and promote successful reunification.

“It makes you aware of a better way

of dealing with your problems and helps

to open communication,” said Maj.

Lance Newby, assistant to the chief of

staff of the Maryland Army National

Guard. Newby and his wife attended a

retreat in August. Newby explained that

the skills learned at the retreat can be

put into practice outside of marriage as

well. “You can apply what you learn with

your spouse to other relationships, like

the people at work,” he said.

Couples also are offered the option

of renewing their vows during a nondenominational service during the weekend.

The retreats, which can accommodate 10 to 12 couples, are open to all

military services however Maryland

National Guard members have priority.

There is a small fee for attendance that

covers snacks and beverages during

breaks however the fee can be recouped

with a travel voucher following the weekend. Retreats are currently being

planned for 2007. Contact your unit’s

lead family volunteer or the Family

Readiness Office for more information.

Chap. (Capt.) Evan Young, Maryland Air National Guard, smiles with nothing but happy couples

at the Family Readiness Marriage Enrichment Retreat held in August at the Holiday Inn, Timonium, Md.

The United States Property and Fiscal Office (USPFO) for Maryland,

located in Havre de Grace, recently

received the Department of Veteran’s

Affairs Federal Achievement Award. 

The award was received for the

monetary amount of contracts the

USPFO Contracting Office awarded to

service-disabled veteran owned small

businesses (SDVOSB) during Fiscal

Year 2005. The contracting office

awarded more than $561 million in

contracts to SDVOSBs during FY 2005.

National Guard Bureau sets a SDVOSB

contracting goal of 3 percent of a

state’s total contracting. Maryland

exceeded that goal threefold, with a

total of 9.4 percent spent on servicedisabled veteran businesses. This high

percentage put Maryland third in this

category out of all 54 states, territories,

and the District of Columbia.

The award was presented to the

USPFO at the Champion of Veterans

Enterprise Fifth Annual Awards Ceremony on June 28, 2006. This marked

the first time the USPFO won this

award.
Digest: Fall, 2006 7

Border Mission

By 1st Lt. Wayde Minami, 175th Wing Public Affairs

I

t’s a place where the sun-bleached

bones of horses, cattle, and occasionally humans can be found amongst the

sand, scrub grass and mesquite and the

early September temperatures can still

soar to more than 100 degrees in the daytime. 

It’s a place where illegal immigrants,

drug traffickers, and possibly terrorists

routinely attempt to covertly enter the

United States.

It’s a place where 103 members of the

Maryland Army National Guard spent two

months serving as the eyes and ears of the

U.S. Border Patrol.

From Aug. 1 to Sept. 25, 2006, volunteers from the 1st Squadron, 158th Cavalry and the 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry

were deployed to the Tucson Border

Patrol Sector in support of Operation

Jump Start, the National Guard effort to

help secure the southwest border.

“The Border Patrol sees an incredible

number of people coming across and they

don’t have the personnel,” Capt. Brian

Perez, the troop commander, said. “Us

being down here allows them to be in

more places and do their job better.”

Employed as four-man “Entry Identification Teams,” the Soldiers manned isolated observation posts within the

Tohono O’Odham Indian Nation, which

straddles the U.S./Mexican border southwest of Tucson, Ariz. 

Working in 24-hour shifts, the Soldiers scanned the desert with binoculars,

night vision goggles, and thermal sensors.

“It’s hot, it’s isolated, and they get

occasional monsoons that come in and

soak everything pretty good,” Perez said.

“But it’s a 24-hour shift, so it’s manageable.”

When they spot a suspicious vehicle

or group of people, they call the sighting

in to a nearby Border Patrol agent and

vector the agent – who may be on horseback, in a vehicle, or in a helicopter – to

the target.

According to Perez, the Maryland unit

reported more than 430 sightings to the

Border Patrol in its first month on the

line, with more than 250 apprehensions

resulting.

Because the Guardsmen are

deployed within a sovereign nation,

they’ve had to be especially mindful of the

sensitivities of local leaders. 

“We’ve met twice with the tribal council leaders,” Perez said. “[We’ve] taken

them out and showed them what we’re

doing.”

In addition, the Marylanders have

been mindful of protecting the land itself.

An ecologist and an archeologist visited each EIT site to check for sensitive

flora, fauna and archeological remains

that the Guardsmen should avoid, Perez

said. 

Perez says that the local population

has been very supportive of the Guard’s

efforts.

“We get a lot of waves and smiles from

the kids,” he said. The sun sets as Spec. Donald Neuer (left) and

Staff Sgt. William Young, both members of the

Maryland Army National Guard, monitor the

U.S.-Mexican border.

Staff Sgt. William Young (right) reports to Capt. Brian Perez, both members of the Maryland

Army National Guard, on Aug. 24, 2006, describing suspected illegal immigrants spotted by

Young’s team the previous day.
8 Maryland Military Department

Thanks to the football players represented by the Victory Sports Group

(VSG), the $199 SAT or ACT Power

Prep Multi-media CD/DVD (New) Programs are now available for just shipping

and handling.

The VSG athletes as a group have

sponsored all military personnel (active

and inactive or retired) beginning September 1, 2005. The VSG sponsorship

includes all armed forces families, active

or retired in the U.S. Air force, U.S. Army,

U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marines Corps,

U.S. Navy, all branches of the Reserves,

and National Guard units in every state. 

Through the VSG sponsorship, military personnel can obtain eKnowledge's

$199 SAT or ACT Standard Power Prep

program(s) and the $199 is waived. Families that request the program(s) pay

only shipping, handling, and materials

costs associated with the request. 

The sponsorship will last through

the entire 2005-07 school years,

which will end July 1, 2007. The programs that have been sponsored by VSG

will time-out and not function one-year

after the program's request. The family

may use the program for an entire year

even if the program is requested the last

day of the sponsorship. 

About The SAT/ACT Power

Prep DVD/CD-ROM Programs

The SAT & ACT test prep training

programs come in either a single DVD or

two CD-ROM sets and includes more

than eleven hours of training video and

25-40 hours of student participation.

Students can use the program as a standalone complete course or as a supplement to other SAT & ACT prep materials.

The students can select the training they

most need and study at their own pace

by picking which of the 120 video lessons they want to view. The program also

provides progress tracking and much

more.

NFL Offering Free SAT/ACT

Programs to Military 

Families

New 

Commander

for MDDF

Brig. Gen. (Md.) Courtney B.

Wilson assumed command of the

Maryland Defense Force (MDDF)

on September 5, 2006. Wilson,

who had been serving as the

MDDF Chief of Staff, is currently

the Executive Director of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum. A

longtime member of the MDDF

Wilson has held other posts

including Special Projects Officer

and Deputy Chief of Staff. He also

serves as the President of the

Greater Baltimore History Alliance

and has served on many local,

regional and national boards

including the Maryland Military

Historical Society, Star Spangled

Banner Flag House, The President’s Council on National Parks

and the Mid-Atlantic Association of

Museums. Wilson served a tour 

of duty in Vietnam in 1971 as 

an infantryman with the army.

Wilson assumed command from

Brig. Gen. (Md.) Frederic N.

Smalkin who stepped down after

serving as the MDDF commander

since April 2005.

Brig. Gen. (Md.) Courtney B. Wilson

How Military Families Request

The Sponsored $199 Programs

1. Visit http://www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/ Locate the “Special Offers” section on the left-hand side of the home page

near the bottom. The link is called “Donation: VSG/NFL Players” Follow the prompts to verify your military status and order

programs. Note: enter your name exactly as it appears on your

military records.

OR

2. Visit http://sat.eknowledge.com/military.asp select the link to

the DOD website to confirm the military status through the

secure Department of Defense main Database. That website

will then forward you to the sponsorship order page. The sponsorship will cover the $199.99 cost for the program. The families pay only the s/h of $9.95.
Digest: Fall, 2006 9

Marylanders Assist During Repatriation

Another group of weary evacuees

arrived in the early evening and

were immediately greeted by clapping hands and cheers. 

“Flights are coming in and people are

pretty distraught,” said Sgt. 1st Class John

Lavery, a Maryland National Guardsman

who volunteered for the mission. “A lot of

these people are carrying everything they

have with them,” said Lavery, non-commissioned officer in charge of the Maryland Army Guard Soldiers supporting the

repatriation operation.

Repatriation flights began arriving at

the Baltimore/Washington International

Thurgood Marshall (BWI) Airport on July

20 with an average of 250 passengers per

flight. 

The Maryland Guardsmen worked

primarily as escorts for the evacuees,

helping to smooth the process as well as

help the evacuees navigate the airport. A

primary service the Soldiers and Airmen

provided was ensuring the evacuees

made their connecting flights. Ready to

lend assistance on the spiritual side were

several Maryland National Guard chaplains.

Coordination between state, local

and federal agencies was the responsibility of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency. While repatriation

operations were led by the Maryland

Department of Human Resources

(MDDHR). 

“There’s nowhere else in the world you

can get this type of treatment,” said Sgt.

Dale Clester, referring to the combined

assistance made available to the evacuees

as they arrive. Sgt. Clester and his wife Pvt.

Kelly Clester, both members of the 1729th

Forward Support Maintenance Co.,

located in Havre de Grace, Md., began

working on the first day

of the operation.

After passing through

U.S. Customs, evacuees

were greeted by American Red Cross workers

distributing food along

with hygiene kits.

MDDHR workers helped

coordinate follow-on

travel and medical personnel were on stand-by

to lend assistance should

returning citizens

require it. 

The trip from Lebanon to the U.S. could take

as long as five days, said

Sgt. Clester. And many of

the travelers were very

weary from remaining

awake for most of it, he

added.

“People waiting for

flights out of Cypress are

afraid to go to sleep”,

said Sgt. Clester, “for fear

that when their names are called to board

their flight they’ll be asleep and miss

them.”

The repatriation operation is joint civil

and military operation involving MEMA

and both the Maryland Air and Army

National Guard as well as the Maryland

Defense Force.

“It’s been a really nice experience

working joint Air and Army Guard,” said

Tech. Sgt. Dena Mioduszewski, a member

of the Maryland Air Guard’s 175th Services Flight. “It shows you how well the

Army and Air can work together.”

Mioduszewski had been a part of the

mission since day one and had recently

been made the Air Guard Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge on the ground at

BWI.

“I called my commander and said,

‘I’ve got to be a part of this’,” said Mioduszewski. 

Mioduszewski said that at one point

she overheard an evacuee trying to make

a phone call to family in California however the battery in his cell phone had

died. Mioduszewski lent the man her cell

phone enabling him to speak to his family. “You do what you can,” she said.

Operations ended on July 28 after a

total of 19 flights and more than 5050

repatriated U.S. citizens returning

through BWI Airport. More than 30 Maryland National Guardsmen assisted in the

repatriation effort.

Sgt. 1st Class Lavery, a recently returning Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran,

made it clear that he was happy to be

helping his fellow citizens. “You see the

joy of these people meeting their families,” he said. “This is a good humanitarian mission.”

Sgt. Guy Stafford, Maryland Army National Guard member, helps

a repatriated citizen make it to a connecting flight. 

U.S. citizens returning from Lebanon receive assistance at Baltimore/Washington International

Thurgood Marshall Airport.
10 Maryland Military Department

Amidst gray clouds and a stiff breeze,

members of the Governor’s Commission on Maryland Military Monuments and officials of the National Park

Service gathered on Saturday, June 3rd at

the Antietam National Battlefield to

rededicate the Maryland Monument. 

The monument honors Maryland soldiers of the Union and Confederate forces

during the Battle of Antietam. The battle,

which historians say was the bloodiest day

in American History and caused approximately 23,000 casualties, was fought on

September 17, 1862 near Sharpsburg,

Md. The battle thwarted attempts for

European recognition of the Confederacy

and allowed President Abraham Lincoln

to issue his Emancipation Proclamation.

Resembling a

small octagonal

Greek temple,

the monument

is topped by a

bronze statue of

“Peace” in the

form of a classical female figure

with a sheathed

sword and a laurel leaf wreath

over the sword.

When the monument was

unveiled in

1900, the ceremony was

attended by

25,000 attendees including President William McKinley, most of his cabinet, members of

Congress, Maryland Governor John

Walker Smith and thousands of veterans. 

The monument has eight columns

representing the eight Maryland commands at the battle, two Confederate and

six Union. The columns support a dome

on which the statue of Peace stands.

Inside are eight plaques representing the

battles fought by each of the eight commands. The monument, which is visible

from the Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center, lies north of the center is

located across the road from the Dunker’s

Church, a famous landmark during the

battle.

The ceremony involved an invocation

from Chaplain John Schildt, National

Chaplain of the 29th Division Association

and remarks from Superintendent John

Howard, of the Antietam National Battlefield, Secretary Mary Kane, of the Maryland Department of State, Secretary

George Owings of the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs, Maj. Gen. Bruce

Tuxill, the adjutant general, and Brian

Thacker , Medal of Honor recipient. After

the remarks, the dignitaries cut a ribbon

placed between two of the columns, and

this act officially rededicated the monument. 

Also participating in the ceremony

was the Maryland Army National Guard’s

229th Army Band (The Adjutant General’s

Own), a ceremonial cavalry unit from the

Maryland Defense Force and a firing party

of the Honor Guard of the Maryland

National Guard. The monument required

extensive repairs be made to the copper

and iron roof after renovations costing

more than $300,000. 

The commission is responsible for

restoring and preserving the inventory of

approximately 400 memorials honoring

Maryland’s veterans. Since 1989, the commission has sponsored the conservation

of 94 Maryland monuments. Secretary

Kane chairs the commission and the Governor appoints members of the commission. General Tuxill and Joseph Balkoski,

Joint Force Forces Headquarters command historian are members of the commission.

Maj. Gen. Bruce F. Tuxill, adjutant general for Maryland, addresses ceremony attendees at Antietam National Battlefield.

The Maryland Freestate ChalleNGe

Academy hosted the ChalleNGe 10th

Anniversary Invitational Games at the University of Maryland in College Park

recently. The games took place from June

6 through 9, 2006 and teams from more

than a dozen states competed in a variety

of events.

Opening ceremonies took place at

the Reckord Armory. Each state’s team

marched in and took their assigned seats.

Maryland, then introduced their mascot, a

Spartan, who in turn brought in the Maryland team.

The assembled group was then entertained by both the Air Force and Navy drill

teams. The games were officially opened

and the first contests took place in basketball and drill team. In all there were 13

competitions ranging from chess to

triathlon.

The highlight of the competition took

place at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C. Each program

sent its four most academically adept

cadets to participate in a college bowl

type event that was sponsored by Congress.

Each team had an opportunity to

answer 56 questions in eight categories.

The Maryland team came in first and each

team member won a gift certificate to Borders Book Store, a variety of souvenirs,

and the praise of several congressmen

and senators who were present. 

On June 9 the closing ceremonies

were held. The winning teams received

their trophies and then returned to their

home states vowing to win more honors

at the next invitational.

Freestate ChalleNGe Hosts Invitational

Maryland Antietam Monument 

Rededicated

Rebecca Blue, a Freestate ChalleNGe math

instructor, motivates the Freestate ChalleNGe

volleyball team prior to hitting the court during the invitational.
Digest: Fall, 2006 11

Maj. Gen. James A. Kelley (left) and Lt. Col. William L. Moseley (right) present Staff Sgt. George

Brosenne with the Soldier’s Medal.

Maryland Guardsman

awarded Soldier’s Medal

Story by Sgt. Crystal Rothermel, 143rd Transportation Command Public Affairs

The Maryland Military Department is mourning the passing on

September 1 of Brig. Gen. (Md.)

Raymond Bertram Clift, Jr. after a

long illness. General Clift was the

first Facilities Management Officer

(FMO) for the Maryland Army

National Guard. He served as the

FMO from 1972 until his military

retirement in 1988. After retiring,

Maj. Gen. Warren D. Hodges, then

Adjutant General of Maryland,

asked Clift to assume the duties of

Maryland Military Department,

Director of Installations. His duties

and responsibilities included maintenance and repair, and construction of all Military Department

facilities. He briefly retired again

in the late 90’s, but was recalled to

service by the current Adjutant

General, Maj. Gen. Bruce F. Tuxill,

as the Special Assistant to the Adjutant General, the position he held

until his passing. In this assignment he was responsible for both

Federal and State legislative military

issues. General Clift served a distinguished military career as a citizen-soldier. He will long be

remembered for all of his accomplishments.

He leaves behind his wife Barbara A. Clift; daughter, Karen Ellis

and husband Eric; son, Allen Clift;

and daughter, Michelle Sadzinski

and husband Mark; sister, Patricia

Pacak; grandchildren, Rya, Amanda,

Michael, Marisa, and Emily. A

memorial service was held in his

honor at the Cvach Funeral Home

in Rosedale on September 5.

MilDep

Mourns the

Passing of

Brig. Gen.

(Md.) Ray

Clift

KUWAIT – aryland Guardsman Staff

Sgt. George Brosenne was recognized during a ceremony in Kuwait

on June 13 where he received the Soldier’s Medal for attempting to save the

lives of his comrades after an accident in

October 2005 that took the lives of Sgt.

Brian Conner, Cpl. Bernard Ceo, and

Cpl. Samuel Boswell of the 243rd Engineer Company.

“You stand as a symbol,” said Lt.

Gen. James Kelley, Third Army deputy

commanding general, as he presented

Brosennes’ Soldier’s Medal. “As we

salute you, we salute the best in American tradition.”

Brosenne, a Lisbon native served as

convoy commander on that fatal day.

The Iraq bound convoy began typically,

he said, but quickly turned chaotic when

three vehicles were involved in an accident.

The vehicle Conner, Ceo and

Boswell were in caught fire. Debris and

shrapnel was flying in all directions, but

personal safety was not Brosenne’s concern as he rushed to the gun truck and

frantically searched for his friends. 

“Instincts took over,” Brosenne said.

“If that was me, and I was the one needing help- I would hope that someone

would do the same thing.”

Brosenne fought the elements and

pulled the driver from the scene where

medics began performing immediate

first aid. Conner, Ceo and Boswell did

not survive but Brosenne’s actions set

him apart among peers and superiors. 

The Soldier’s Medal is awarded to

servicemembers who perform heroic

actions, and most often to those who risk

their lives to save another, like Brosenne.

“I have mixed emotions (about the

award), I guess,” said Brosenne. “I got

the medal due to the fact that something

went wrong. I don’t feel like I deserve

this- they (fallen comrades) deserve this

more than I do.” He says he was only

doing his job, but added, that he is also

a firm believer that convoy commanders

should always put the lives of their Soldiers above their own. 

“Today is a tribute to a great man,

Soldier and great American hero,” said

Kelley. “We shall not forget them, you, or

what you’ve done.”
12 Maryland Military Department

THE LECTERN

This segment by Chap. (Lt. Col. Md.) Charles H. Nalls, director, Chaplain Services, MDDF

I

n the last column, Chap. (Col.) Lee

spoke of “three strands of rope”

braided together-Maryland Army

and Air Guard, and the Maryland

Defense Force chaplains and chaplain

assistants. These intertwined strands

form a unity in the chaplain force of

our Military Department that is

stronger than any individual line.

Let’s continue that theme with

three essential values that join to form

a whole in the person: integrity, service before self, and excellence. While

these values are a part of the MDDF

mission statement, they genuinely are

three pillars of the well-rounded life, a

life dedicated to serving others. 

On the question of integrity, Dr.

Martin Luther King noted, “The time is

always right to do what is right.”

Doing right at all times and in all

places lies at the heart of a life of service whether military or civilian. Bound

up in integrity are the core values of

courage, honesty, responsibility,

accountability, justice, openness, selfrespect, and humility. Each of these

may come with a cost, but the person

of integrity possesses moral courage

and does what is right even if that personal cost is high.

Service before self tells us that

duty, particularly duty to others takes

precedence over our own desires. At

the very least this means that we put

aside anger, personal agenda, and that

we maintain respect for others. As one

writer put it, “It is not so much what

we get out of life as what we put into

it that determines how large our

returns of happiness shall be. The triumphant life is to be achieved through

service. . . . . There is a place where

the path of duty suddenly becomes the

path of beauty.”

Finally, the philosopher Aristotle

once said that, “Excellence is not an

act, but a habit.” To develop that habit,

we must work at excellence in all

things, no matter how small they

seem. Ultimately, this trait relates to a

life of service, because true excellence

means that a person asks of himself

more than others do.

In the chaplain corps of the

MDDF, we strive to keep these values

central to our work as we assist MDNG

members, their families, and the community at large. Even when not activated for emergency state service, our

chaplains work to provide religious

support to Guard units throughout the

state, ranging from individual counseling, providing of regular unit training

assembly religious services, and assisting with special unit needs.

Our chaplains, who serve on a

volunteer basis, can be called upon to

perform religious ceremonies from

births and baptisms, confirmations and

marriages, to illness and last rites, and

to provide spiritual assistance to the

civilian population, first responders

and military personnel in time of crisis

or disaster. MDDF chaplain missions

have ranged from deployment to New

Orleans during the response Hurricane Katrina to state active duty in

direct support of the recent repatriation of evacuees from Lebanon to

Maryland. 

The MDDF Chaplain Corps currently is recruiting ordained ministers,

priests, rabbis, and imams, as well as

chaplain assistants for volunteer service to our State. You can learn more

about the MDDF and how to qualify at

www.mddefenseforce.org or contact

Chap. (Lt. Col. Md.) Charles H. Nalls,

director, Chaplain Services at 202-262-

5519 for further information on the

many opportunities available in this

rewarding ministry.

Jerry Weiss of Forest Hill, Md. was

named commander of the Maryland Wing

of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) at a change of

command ceremony held at CAP's 2006

Middle East Region (MER) Conference

and Banquet in Richmond, Va.

"He brings energy, enthusiasm, and

commitment to excellence to this new

position," said Col. Kay Joslin Walling,

who was the wing commander until her

appointment as MER commander in

March. "Lt. Col. Weiss has served the

Maryland Wing well as both a squadron

and group commander."

Weiss, 57, first joined CAP in 1999. 

CAP, the official auxiliary of the U.S.

Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with

more than 57,000 members nationwide.

CAP volunteers perform 95 percent of

continental U.S. inland search and rescue

missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue

Coordination Center and also perform

homeland security, disaster relief and

counterdrug missions at the request of

federal, state, and local agencies.

There are approximately 1,300 members of CAP in Maryland. Last fiscal year

wing members flew 34 search and rescue

missions and were credited with 23 finds.

After the change of command, Walling

promoted Weiss to the rank of colonel.

She was assisted by Weiss' youngest

daughter, Cadet Lt. Col. Joanna Weiss. 

"The experiences I've gained as a

leader in the military, corporate world,

and CAP have been invaluable," Weiss

said, adding, "I am at a point in my life

that I have the time, enthusiasm, and

energy to undertake the serious responsibilities of wing commander."

Weiss served in the U.S. Army from

1968 to 1971 as an enlisted Soldier. He

returned to active duty in 1978. He completed Officer Candidate School in 1981

and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He retired as a lieutenant colonel

in 1995 after 20 years of active duty.

"It is with a great sense of humility

and dedication that I assume command of

the Maryland Wing," Col. Weiss said. "I

would like to thank those who have

offered their best wishes and I can assure

all members of the wing that I will give it

my best efforts."

NEW CIVIL AIR PATROL COMMANDER
Digest: Fall, 2006 13

With Honor

By Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy and Spc. Keith Muckler

The sharp staccato sound of rifle fire

echoes across a broad rolling field.

The silent stillness of the morning

has been broken by the crack of several

rifles firing as one. Those firing the rifles

move confidently, deliberately and with a

deep sense of purpose. Their movements are just as sharp and crisp as the

sound of the rifles they fired that cracked

through the quietness. They move as

one, just as the rifles are fired as one. As

the final notes from the rifles reverberate

through the air, a lone bugler begins to

play and the mournful sound of “Taps”

filters through the air as a service member is laid to rest.

The Maryland National Guard Honor

Guard performs this ritual about two

hundred ninety times a month, and

three thousand times year; which is

expected to increased in the upcoming

year by five hundred. 

On July 24, 2006 the Honor Guard

performed its 20,000th honor detail. 

Recognizing this outstanding

achievement Maj. Gen. Bruce F. Tuxill,

adjutant general for Maryland, presented

the honor guard with a plaque during a

small ceremony.

“The Honor Guard performs a

unique service in honoring our fallen

heroes,” said Tuxill. “We should take

pride in their association with this

department, as much pride as they take

in the work that they do.”

Maj. Gen. Tuxill also recently

approved the establishment of the Maryland National Guard Honor Guard Ribbon on August 4, 2006. 

“Much of the success of the program

is directly attributed to the support from

General Tuxill and the senior staff,” said

retired Chief Master Sgt. John

Herzberger, director of veteran’s affairs

for the Maryland Military Department.

Though quite busy bestowing military honors at funerals, for many members of the Honor Guard the opportunity

to pay final respects to deceased service

members is what keeps them busy training for all those funerals. Though, prior

to 1998 military honors at service member’s funerals wasn’t something that

always happened. 

“In 1998 the Maryland General

Assembly and the governor agreed to set

up funding,” said Herzberger, explaining

how the Honor Guard came into being.

And being able to perform military honors for the families of deceased service

members is something members of the

unit take very seriously.

“There is no greater calling than to

provide honors for those that have

served, and in some cases, made the

greatest sacrifice for this country,” said

Herzberger, who added the honor guard

performs those honors for all service

members regardless of which branch of

service they served in.

That sense of calling, as well as passion and respect, is something that

seems to drive many who join the Honor

Guard.

“I joined the Honor Guard so I could

give back to the Soldiers that have come

before me,” said Spc. Aaron Edwards. “All

veterans deserve the chance to be buried

with military honors if they choose.

None of them should be denied this

respect.”

Becoming a member of the Honor

Guard can be a difficult task. Open to

members of both the Maryland Army and

Air National Guard, a service member

has to first be recommended by his or

her unit. They must then go through a

background check, meet height and

weight standards as well as other

requirements. The Maryland National

Guard Honor Guard are authorized 80

positions, they currently have 65 on

board; with other members serving on

active duty in locations such as, Iraq and

Afghanistan.

“They are very picky,” said Edwards,

of the selection process for those who

wish to join the Honor Guard. “You must

meet or exceed the standards at all

times. There is no below-the-standard

with this group. You must be passionate

about this job.”

Once selected to become an Honor

Guard member, the training begins.

“We are trained in all aspects of the

ceremony, except bugler,” said Edwards,

who added that Honor Guard members

only get one chance at each funeral and

must do it right each time. “On any given

day you could be pallbearer, on the firing

party, colors team or on flag folding and

presentation. You have to be sharp at

everything.”

There are two types of services the

group trains to perform, said

Herzberger. First are full honors, which

are reserved for Medal of Honor recipients, those who have died while on

active duty or retired service members.

Second are modified honors, which is

for all veterans who have been honorably discharged.

And the training and practicing for

those services is a constant thing for

members of the Honor Guard. On

almost any given day when not at a

funeral, the members of the group can 

be seen honing their skills to keep their

movements sharp and crisp. But for

some, that continuous training to ensure

pinpoint exactness isn’t the most difficult part of being in the Honor Guard.

“The hardest part of military funeral

honors is the emotion of the families,

which can affect you while performing

the ceremonies,” said Air National Guard

Staff Sgt. Dena Ann Mioduszewski. “I

have caught myself tearing up. It really

can make you feel like you are part of

their family.”

But that emotional tie can also be

one of the most rewarding aspects of

being part of the Honor Guard.

“The best part is folding the flag and

giving it to the next of kin and looking

Spc. Aaron Edwards, of the Maryland

National Guard Honor Guard, folds the flag

during a grave side service. Photo by Spc.

Keith Muckler

Continued on page 14
14 Maryland Military Department

into their eyes and seeing the response

that they give you,” said Mioduszewski.

And others agreed.

And that emotion and response is

something many families and Honor

Guard members carry with them, long

after the crack of the rifle and the sound

of “Taps” has settled into the still morning air.

A Maryland United States Property and

Fiscal Office employee was recently recognized by the U.S. Army Transportation Corps.

John Yingling, USPFO traffic manager, was

named Transportation Corps Civilian of the

Year for 2005 during an awards ceremony on

July 25 at Ft. Eustis, Va. A 14 year employee

of the USPFO, located in Havre de Grace, Yingling got his start as a shipping clerk.

“I kind of worked my way up,” said Yingling. Yingling is responsible for coordinating all commercial passenger and freight

transportation for the Maryland National

Guard. This includes charter flights, coach

bus transportation and equipment line-hauling. Yingling admits that the workload has

increased with the Global War on Terrorism

however he plans on sticking around.

“I love my job,” he said. “I’ll be doing

this for 15 more years.”

Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.

announced a new emergency preparedness campaign on Monday, September 25 that targets families. The

Family First campaign was created by

Governor Ehrlich to provide practical

information to families – and to all

Marylanders about preparedness. The

centerpiece of the campaign is an

emergency checklist in the form of a

refrigerator magnet. In addition to the

popular checklist, the Family First program will distribute a guide to family

preparedness. A website – www.familyfirst.md – offers information drawn

from state and national sources. The

guide and the checklist are available

from the Maryland Emergency Management Agency by contacting Ed McDonough at 410-517-3632 or 

emcdonough@mema.state.md.us 

A copy of the Family First emergency checklist is included on the following page.

With Honor

Continued from page 13

USPFO Civilian Recognized

In June Maj. Gen Bruce F. Tuxill,

adjutant general for Maryland led a contingent of local business leaders to

Bosnia and Estonia as part of the

National Guard's State Partnership Program. Maryland has been partnered with

Bosnia since 2003 and with Estonia since

1993. 

The National Guard is uniquely

suited to participate in efforts to build

democratic institutions; its cooperative

efforts with other nations maximize the

advantages its Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen bring to initiatives to shape the

international environment. As a reserve

component, the National Guard demonstrates how nations can possess a significant defense capability at a much lower

cost than active duty forces—a subject of

vital interest to emerging democracies

struggling with fiscal constraints as well

as issues involving conflict and peace.

State Partnership With

Bosnia Strong

Family First Campaign Announced by

Governor Ehrlich

Members of the Honor Guard perform during

a funeral. Photo by Spc. Keith Muckler

John Yingling

Left to Right: Lt. Gen. Sifet Podzic, commander

of miltary forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

Ambassador Douglass McElhaney, U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Nikola

Radovanovic, Bosnia and Herzegovina minister of defense, Maj. Gen. Bruce F. Tuxill.
Digest: Fall, 2006 15
MDDF Officer Showcased by MNA

Fifth Regiment Armory

Baltimore, MD 21201-2288

The Maryland Military Department

Digest is published quarterly by the

Maryland Military Department via the

Maryland National Guard Public Affairs

Office, 5th Regiment Armory, Baltimore,

Md. 21201-2288. Articles or suggestions

can be forwarded to the editor at

rick.roth@us.army.mil or call us at 

410-576-6012.

Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.

Governor

Michael S. Steele

Lt. Governor

Maj. Gen. Bruce F. Tuxill

The Adjutant General

Rick Roth

Editor

Numbers You Need

Maryland National Guard Family 

Readiness Office

410-576-6019

Department of Information 

Management Help Desk

410-702-9600

Maryland National Guard 

Chaplain’s Office

410-576-6124

Red Cross 

Central Maryland Chapter, Baltimore

1-888-737-4306

Southern Maryland Chapter, La Plata

301-934-2066

Lower Shore Chapter, Salisbury

410-749-5331

Frederick County Chapter, Walkersville

301-662-5131

Maryland Poison Control 

1-800-222-1222

Websites

Maryland Government Website

www.maryland.gov

Maryland Military Department

Website

www.mdmildep.org

Maryland Emergency 

Management Agency

www.mema.state.md.us

Maryland State Employee 

Central Payroll Bureau

www.compnet.comp.state.md.us/cpb

Maryland Military DepartmentDigest

A registered nurse who is a captain

in the Maryland Defense Force (MDDF)

has been selected by the Maryland

Nurse’s Association (MNA) as one of its

12 showcase nurses for their FACE of

Nursing project. Capt. (Md.) Odediah

Skolnick of MDDF’s 10th Medical Regiment was selected for the honor.

The FACE of Nursing project is the

association’s effort to celebrate and

honor with special recognition nurses

who inspire patients and other nurses

in the practice of their profession. In

addition to the recognition, Skolnick

will be honored as one of the nurses

who will appear in the MNA’s 2007

nursing calendar. 

Skolnick is a case manager and

home visiting nurse with the Visiting

Nurse Association of Maryland with an

accomplished background in cardiac

critical care. Her professional duties

are complimented through her role in

the Maryland Military Department’s

Maryland Defense Force. The MDDF, an

all volunteer agency, fields approximately 200 uniformed professionals in

medical, legal, clergy and related fields

as a force multiplier for the Maryland

National Guard. During 2005, Skolnick

participated with distinction in two

major initiatives through the Maryland

Military Department.

In February 2005, Skolnick lent her

expertise as an evaluator in Self Aid and

Buddy Care to Maryland Air National

Guard airmen during an Operational

Readiness Exercise. 

Skolnick also called upon her clinical and organizational abilities when

she deployed with the MDDF to Jefferson Parish, La. during the Hurricane

Katrina relief mission in September

2005. 

The MNA will honor Skolnick and

the 11 other FACE of Nursing honorees

at a luncheon in Linthicum, Md. on

October 20.

Capt. (Md.) Odediah Skolnick