Maryland National

Guard ‘Vigilant’

During Homeland

Defense Exercise

by Maj. Kristine Henry, MDNG Public Affairs

Maryland Military DepartmentDigest

S oldiers of the Maryland National Guard’s 115th

Military Police Battalion were among the first

troops securing the scene at the Pentagon on

Sept. 11, 2001, and six years later, some of these same

Soldiers are fully engaged in a homeland defense exercise aimed at preparing for a potential repeat of that

day’s events – training they hope never to use.

It’s called Exercise Vigilant Guard, and it’s an

annual training exercise sponsored by the National

Guard Bureau at locations across the country.

“Exercises such as Vigilant Guard ensure the

National Guard is as prepared as possible in order to

respond to any contingency that may occur,” said Maj.

Gen. Bruce F. Tuxill, the adjutant general of Maryland.

“Having Soldiers and Airmen who are trained,

equipped and ready for domestic emergencies is at the

heart of the National Guard mission.”

The terrorist attack scenario unfolded over the

course of the three-day exercise. The first two days

were played out on computer screens and communication equipment at Joint Operations Center at Camp

Fall 2007

Anthony G. Brown

Lt. Governor

Martin O’Malley

Governor

A MDNG Soldier is riding to the scene of a simulated emergency in a UH-60

Blackhawk helicopter to assist local first responders in Exercise Vigilant

Guard. Photo by Tech. Sgt. David Speicher, 175th Wing Public Affairs.

Continued on page 4

In This Issue...

★ Military Department Supports 

Pandemic Flu Exercise............page 5

★ Air Guard to the Rescue 

after Peru Quake.....................page 6

★ Marylanders Provide Care 

at Indian Reservation..............page 9

★ MDMILDEP Hosts Maryland 

Congressional Delegation 

Staff........................................page 13
Martin O’Malley

Governor

Anthony G. Brown

Lt. Governor

Maj. Gen. Bruce F. Tuxill

Adjutant General

Fifth Regiment Armory Baltimore, Maryland 21201

TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE MARYLAND MILITARY DEPARTMENT:

Autumn is here and the high tempo of the Department’s missions continues both in Maryland and overseas.

The 58th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Maryland Army National Guard has completed its training at

Fort Dix and is deployed in Iraq. The B Company, 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment (Chinook) is

deployed to Afghanistan. Please keep these Soldiers, Airmen and their families in your thoughts and prayers. We

are fortunate to have home with us for the holidays the Aviation Depot Maintenance Roundout Unit (ADMRU)

and the 29th Division Detachment K FOR8 of the Maryland Army National Guard and the 104th Fighter

Squadron of the Maryland Air National Guard.

The Department hosted 33 staffers from Maryland’s Congressional Delegation at Warfield Air National Guard

Base in August. Representatives came from the offices of Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, and Reps.

Steny Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersburger, Elijah Cummings, and John Sarbanes, as well as members of Gov. Martin

O’Malley’s homeland security and legislative affairs team. The guests received briefings of the current status

of each of the four pillars of the Maryland Military Department and had the opportunity to pose questions to

our leadership. Their visit was important because it provided a better understanding of who we are and what

we can do for Maryland and our country.

The Maryland National Guard completed its participation in “Exercise Vigilant Guard,” a National Guard

Bureau-sponsored exercise designed to enhance the preparedness of National Guard forces to perform missions associated with homeland defense and providing military support to civil authorities. Participants in the

exercise came from all four branches of the Department and I was very pleased with what I saw.

On Sept. 6, we celebrated Unity Day. This was the second year of conducting this event which combined 

cultural/ethnic celebrations such as African-American History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian-Pacific

American History Month and other previously scheduled observances in a blended day-long celebration at the

Fifth Regiment Armory. Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown delivered the keynote address and the event was a notable success. 

The Maryland Emergency Management Agency assisted the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

in conducting a three-day functional exercise designed to test Maryland’s collective ability to respond to a

statewide influenza pandemic. MEMA partially activated the State Emergency Operations Center in order to

process information and requests for support, and its Joint Information Center to review and coordinate emergency public information. Maryland National Guard personnel were dispatched to the state delivery site of the

National Strategic Stockpile to test their ability to receive, process and deliver critical medical supplies to distribution points for hospitals and health departments.

In July, a medical team of health care providers from the MDANG’s 175th Medical Group and the Maryland

Defense Force’s 10th Medical Regiment deployed to the Rosebud Lakota Sioux Reservation to perform a

humanitarian medical mission at the Indian Health Services Hospital. The team provided medical care for more

than 4,000 residents of the reservation.

As we head into the holiday season, we face the challenge of protecting our love ones and properties from

house fires. Make a plan to leave your home quickly in the event of a fire and make sure that the members of

your family also know the plan. Take all precautions to ensure that you and your loved ones are safe. Each of

you is irreplaceable to our organization and to your families as well.

We still have a lot of work to be done and we will continue to move forward. Take care of yourselves and your

families. Godspeed.

Bruce F. Tuxill

Major General, MDANG

The Adjutant General
Digest: Fall, 2007 3

Unity Day

Story and photo by Spc. Loni Kingston, 29th MPAD

The Fifth Regiment Armory is 

normally a quiet, serene building,

however on Unity Day 2007 this

was not the case. More than 300 participants filled the room to engage in the

annual celebration. Volunteers set up a

cultural smorgasbord of food and entertainment for members of the Maryland

Military Department to enjoy. Displays

were erected to showcase

the significant contributions from African Americans, Asian Pacific

Americans, Hispanic

Americans, American Indians and Native Americans,

just to name a few.

The celebration provided a great deal of entertainment for all to see.

Belly dancers, sponsored

by the Middle Eastern

Americans, showed off

their talent on stage and

everyone was amused by

the pasta eating contest,

sponsored by the Italian

Americans.

Unity Day, however, represents so

much more than food and fun facts.

Unity Day is essentially a special ethnic

observance day designed to, “enhance

cross-cultural awareness and promote

harmony among all members of the 

Maryland Military Department.” 

Initially, the Maryland Military Department had a separate celebration for each

culture, said Lt. Col. Jan Burke, state

equal employment manager and event

coordinator for Unity Day. 

The solution was to blend all the cultural observance days into one, so everyone had the chance to learn about the

different cultures represented in the

Maryland Military Department. 

Burke borrowed this concept from

her counterpart in New Jersey who had

great success when implementing a

joined, multicultural Unity Day. 

When the New Jersey National Guard

celebrated their Unity Day, Burke and her

committee attended to get a few ideas.

After overcoming many obstacles the first

year, the second annual Unity Day was a

success.

We learned a lot the first time around,

and were able to cut the planning time

down to seven months this year, said

Burke. We still faced a few obstacles, but

Unity Day 2007 was still very much a 

success.

Continued on page 16

Commissary For

All Military 

Members

By Carrie Williams, DeCA

I

f you think you have to be married to

shop the commissary, think again. You

don’t have to make a lifetime commitment to begin a lifetime of savings at the

commissary. That’s good news for young

single service members who aren’t ready

to take the proverbial plunge.

“Commissaries are an essential part of

the whole military community, and that’s

just one of the messages we want to

deliver to all service members during

Commissary Awareness Month in May,”

said Patrick Nixon, director and chief

executive officer of the Defense Commissary Agency. “With extensive health and

wellness sections, lean meats, fresh produce, organics and more, we offer

‘healthy food at healthy savings’ to all our

customers – whether they are married or

single.”

Single service

members can find

all their toiletries,

snacks, beverages,

vitamins and personal care items at

cost in their commissary. “The

problem is too

many service

members wait until they get married or

have children to start using the commissary regularly. They don’t discover it as

soon as they get into the service,” said

Nixon.

Once the savings of 30 percent or

more over commercial grocery stores are

“discovered” – why shop anywhere else?

“The commissary benefit can save single

military members more than $1,000 a

year if they shop regularly at the commissary,” said Nixon. “A family of four can

save nearly $3,000 a year.”

You’re ready to serve your country.

Your commissary is ready to serve you.

“That’s our most important mission,”

said Nixon. And 2007 Commissary Awareness Month activities include single 

service member tours to showcase commissary readiness to serve.

Unity Day is designed to enhance cross-cultural awareness and

promote harmony among all members of the Maryland Military

Department.

Fresh produce is in abundant supply at the commissary.
4 Maryland Military Department

Fretterd Military Reservation in Reisterstown, Md., primarily testing the Maryland National Guard’s ability to

coordinate and interoperate with other

state and local agencies.

Using simulated reports – “notional

injects” in exercise parlance – from a variety of sources, the scenario unfolded.

First a truck bomb collapses a span of the

Woodrow Wilson Bridge during rush

hour traffic. Next, a bomb explodes at the

on a rail line, derailing a train near Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

As public concern spreads, traffic

approaches gridlock and telephone lines

become overwhelmed. Suspected terrorists next fire an anti-tank rocket at a train

in downtown Baltimore, followed by a

shoot-out with city police, who find a suspicious white powder in their vehicle

near the M&T Bank Stadium. 

With local responders overwhelmed,

the situation becomes serious enough to

require the military assistance, and Gov.

Martin O’Malley calls out the National

Guard. 

This third day of events is no longer

just notional; it is full of action as National

Guard troops, Baltimore City Police

Department, Baltimore City Fire Department and other local first responders

swing into action and actually implement

their response in downtown Baltimore. 

A cloud of debris rises from a parking

lot in downtown Baltimore as Maryland

National Guard UH60 Blackhawk helicopters land near the

stadium and begin to

disgorge Soldiers

from the Initial Reaction Force of the

115th Military Police

Battalion. Soon the

Guardsman have

assessed the situation and deployed

their forces, setting

up checkpoints and

patrolling the streets.

Meanwhile, Soldiers and Airmen of

32nd Civil Support

Team, who specialize

in detecting nuclear,

biological and chemical weapons, don

blue HAZMAT suits and attempt to 

analyze materials at the scene. 

For added realism, the whole operation is under the scrutiny of “mock

media” – reporters and news cameramen

role-played by members of the Maryland

National Guard and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency. 

As the military police and HAZMAT

teams work to contain the situation, public affairs professionals of the 29th Mobile

Public Affairs Detachment and the 175th

Wing form a Joint Media Operations Center to respond to reporters’ questions and

increase the flow of information to a 

worried public.

In the end, the scene is secured and

the threat identified. 

More importantly, the goal of the exercise

is met: to prepare for the worst. As Vigilant Guard came to a close, Col. Pete

Hinz, the joint task force commander

reflected on the overall intent of the 

exercise. 

“Although this was a National Guard

Bureau sponsored event, Vigilant Guard

really encapsulated some of Gov. O’Malley’s 12 Homeland Security Goals. Three

of the main goals we exercised here today

were interoperability amongst many of

the first responders, hazardous material

recovery and training, training, training,”

he said. “We have learned a lot from this

exercise and will use these lessons

learned to continue to improve our

homeland readiness here in Maryland.”

UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters of the MDARNG arrive near M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore to

deliver MDNG Soldiers responding to a simulated emergency. Photo by Master Sgt. Lou

Deveaux, 175th Wing Public Affairs.

Members of the 32nd Civil Support team of

the Maryland National Guard test a suspicious package during Exercise Vigilant

Guard. . Photo by Tech. Sgt. David Speicher,

175th Wing Public Affairs.

Mock reporter Katie Leahan of MEMA interviews a MDNG Soldier 

during Exercise Vigilant Guard. Photo by 1st Lt. Wayde Minami, 175th

Wing Public Affairs.

MD National Guard ‘Vigilant’ During Homeland Defense Exercise

Continued from page 1
Digest: Fall, 2007 5

Healthcare providers in Maryland

staged a three-day functional exercise to test Maryland’s collective

ability to respond to a statewide influenza

pandemic Jul. 31 through Aug. 2. 

An influenza pandemic occurs when

a new influenza virus appears and

the human population has no

immunity. The result can be

simultaneous epidemics worldwide which can lead to great

numbers of illness and deaths.

Because of the increase in global

transport and communications,

urbanization and overcrowded

living conditions, outbreaks of a

new strain of influenza virus are

likely to spread around the world

quickly.

The multi-jurisdictional, multiorganizational exercise involved

the participation of health departments, law enforcement, fire and

emergency medical services, a

variety of state and local agencies

and hospitals at the state and local

levels. The lead agency for the exercise

was the Maryland Department of Health

and Mental Hygiene, with the Maryland

Military Department providing significant support. 

The exercise scenario involved a new

strain of human influenza that had been

identified in the Far East, which spread

quickly through human-to-human 

contact. In the scenario, the virus, which

caused severe illness and deaths, began

to appear in locations throughout the

United States. Maryland’s medical 

surveillance system had alerted healthcare providers to suspected cases in the

state which were awaiting laboratory

confirmation. 

With large numbers of people

becoming ill, the expected impact on

daily living became extreme. Hospitals

and other medical facilities became overwhelmed with sick people. Transportation systems delivering goods and

services failed due to lack of people to

run them. State and local governments

began to examine their ability to protect

the public and provide services when

their staff was reduced. 

In response, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) partially activated the State Emergency

Operations Center in order to process

information and requests for support

that resulted from the situations presented in the scenarios. MEMA also activated its Joint Information Center to

review and coordinate emergency public

information. 

Maryland National Guard personnel

were dispatched to the state delivery site

of the National Strategic Stockpile in

northern Maryland to test their ability to

receive, process and deliver critical medical supplies to distribution points for

hospital and health departments.

Many aspects of the exercise were

unique and innovative. For the first time,

Maryland’s Community Emergency

Response Teams were used to conduct

needs assessments as part of implementing home quarantine and community

containment measures. Another aspect

was the ability of hospitals to reconfigure

their facilities to handle anticipated

patient surge. Other exercise tasks

included testing the state’s ability to

receive and distribute medical supplies

to critical personnel and hospitals, and

activation of and communications with emergency operations centers. MEMA had the

opportunity to use its Web

EOC management system,

which has had some changes.

Overall, the exercise was

a good opportunity to examine

what will work and what needs

to be improved. Pandemic

influenza has struck the United

States three times in the past

100 years. The worst of the

three was the 1918 Influenza

Pandemic (also called the

Spanish Flu), which killed 50

million people worldwide,

including an estimated

675,000 people in the United

States. The Spanish Flu first appeared in

Maryland at Camp Meade, Md., in September 1918. By October, there were

more than 7,000 cases in Baltimore

alone, resulting in nearly 2,000 deaths. A

similar pandemic today could spread 

farther and faster and prove more

deadly.

Military Department Supports

Pandemic Flu Exercise

By Quentin Banks, MDMILDEP Public Affairs

Photos by Specialist Elizabeth Jones, MDNG Public Affairs

Master Sgt. Ronald Pitts (left) mans the Rumor

Control center of the Joint Operations Center,

and Quentin Banks (right), MDMILDEP 

Director of Public Affairs holds the role of 

the JIC Staffer.

Katie Leahan, team leader for Joint Information Center. 

Front view of the Joint Operations Center during Pandemic Flu exercise, August 1, 2007.
6 Maryland Military Department

Two crews from the Maryland 

Air National Guard’s 135th Airlift

Squadron found themselves 

unexpectedly pressed into service following an 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Peru

Aug. 15.

“They said, ‘an earthquake happened

and we need you in Peru,’”

said Tech. Sgt. Will Morales, a

loadmaster assigned to the

135th Airlift Squadron, based

in Baltimore. 

In response, two Maryland C-130s, which were

deployed as part of a regular

Coronet Oak airlift rotation in

San Juan, Puerto Rico, supporting the U.S. Southern

Command, were sent downrange to assist in the relief

effort.

The airlifters’ first stop

was Soto Cano Air Base in

Honduras, where they picked

up a mobile surgical team and

other emergency personnel

and supplies. Then it was on

to Pisco, Peru, about 25 miles

from the epicenter of the

earthquake and the hub of

earthquake relief operations.

Lt. Col. Gordon Kinney,

an aircraft commander during the mission, described the scene in Pisco.

“I don’t think I saw any housing with

roofs left intact,” he said. At the airport,

“rows and rows of coffins” were stacked

“six and eight high” to bury the dead.

“The ramp at Pisco was more like an

aircraft carrier than an airport,” said Lt.

Col. David Deborger, who commanded

the first aircraft to arrive. “There were people, vehicles and airplanes in constant

motion at all times, and the ramp was very

crowded.”

“They worked like they knew someone, somehow really depended on their

efforts,” Kinney said.

The Marylanders’ tactical training and

combat experience paid unexpected dividends when Deborger’s crew was able to

use night vision goggles to land at Pisco,

an airfield normally only useable during

the daytime. The 135th crews had garnered significant experience in NVG operations while flying missions into remote

airfields in Iraq and Afghanistan and were

able to put that experience to good use.

The 135th Hercs quickly

got into a rhythm, shuttling

people and cargo between

Pisco and Peru’s capital, Lima. 

The lack of space at the

airport in Pisco meant the

Maryland C-130 crews spent

their nights in Lima, where

they experienced a number of

earthquake aftershocks. While

the flying time between the

two cities was relatively short –

50 minutes – a lack of materiel

handling equipment at both

locations meant that everything had to be loaded and

unloaded by hand, resulting

in long days of heavy manual

labor.

In all, the Marylanders

transported more than 121

tons of cargo and 132 passengers for earthquake relief.

“The USA always

responds to disasters like this,

anywhere on the planet. It’s what we do,”

Deborger said. “As a member of the crew,

it’s very fulfilling, knowing that we are providing help to people who are in great

need of it.”

Air Guard to the Rescue after Peru Quake

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

Tech. Sgt. Wilbert Morales and Senior Airman Brandon Krantz, both loadmasters from the Maryland Air National Guard, help Peruvian aid workers unload blankets from a C-130 aircraft Aug. 18, 2007, in Pisco, Peru, in

the aftermath of an 8.0 magnitude earthquake that struck the area Aug.

15. Photo by US Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Lock.

AUSTIN ARMY AVIATION SUPPORT FACILITY, Austin, Texas – Ten

Maryland Soldiers responded rapidly to a no-notice mission in

August in anticipation of possible relief missions related to Hurricane Dean.

Eight Maryland Army National Guard aviators from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment and two medics

from Company C, 1st Battalion, 169th Aviation Regiment

departed Aug. 17 for a staging area at Jacksonville, Fla., in

response to computer projections that Hurricane Dean would

strike the island territory of Puerto Rico.

The Soldiers from Edgewood, Md., were prepared to

employ rescue hoists, conduct search-and-rescue operations and

re-supply displaced citizens with food and water, said Staff Sgt.

Kelly D. Thomas, a member of the 224th Aviation Regiment. 

The team repositioned westward after the hurricane missed

Puerto Rico and veered towards Texas. Chief Warrant Officer

Michael Fedor said the Guardsmen were “glad to help out” with

any potential hurricane relief missions.

“Texas Guard Soldiers relieved us from our tour in Iraq,”

Fedor said. “It is nice to be able to come down and return the

favor by giving these folks a hand.” 

The Marylanders were based at Balad airbase in Iraq

between October 2005 and October 2006. 

Fortunately for all involved here, Hurricane Dean’s path

spared Texas, landing instead in largely uninhabited portions of

Mexico on Aug. 20. Later that day, the Guardsmen received word

to stand down and prepare for movement back to their home

station. “The fact that we didn’t need to go in after all means that

a lot of people aren’t suffering because of the destructive impact

from a hurricane,” said Chief Warrant Officer Robert J. Berdanier,

a pilot with the 224th Aviation Regiment. “That’s not a bad

thing.” 

“This was a good training event for us, exercising our logistics capability to move this distance on short notice,” Added

Chief Warrant Officer Albert B. Isennock, also of the 224th. “We’ll

take back some important lessons learned – such as best use of

satellite telephones for communication and additional ‘dunker’

training for crew members. This will allow us to prepare even

better for the next time we’re needed.”

Maryland Dispatches Blackhawks in 

Anticipation of Hurricane Dean
Digest: Fall, 2007 7

Homefront Challenge

Helps Kids Learn,

Make Friends

By Specialist Elizabeth Jones, MDNG Public Affairs

Photos by Beth Stoddard, MDNG Family Readiness

The Maryland National Guard’s Child

and Youth Program completed its

second annual “Homefront Challenge” youth camp at

Camp Fretterd Military

Reservation in Reisterstown, Md., June 29.

Eighty-five children,

ranging in age from 8 to

18, participated in this

year’s camp. The event,

which is one of three

programs designed and

facilitated by the Maryland Family Readiness

Program, provides an

opportunity for children of both Maryland

Air and Army National

Guardsmen to get to

know each other and

make friends. 

“It is important for

kids to connect and

relate to each other in order to

know that they are not alone

while their parents are away

from home,”

said Theresa

Stoddard, the

State Youth

Coordinator. “They need

time to talk through their

fears with a friend, someone who can identify and

connect through similar

experiences.” 

Activities included

sports, hiking, fishing,

visits to local National

Guard facilities and a

tour of a military helicopter, which provided kids

time to learn about themselves, each other and

the military.

“While these children

may live in communities

throughout the state, the one thing they

all have in common is that they’re a part

of the larger Maryland National Guard

family,” said Maj. Gen. Bruce F. Tuxill, the

adjutant general of Maryland. “Just as

their parents have made a commitment to

defend our nation and state, so too are we

committed to being there for the families

of our citizen-soldiers and airmen. This

camp, which stresses the bond shared by

the children of Guard members, is just

one small part of that.”

Closing ceremonies held June 29

were attended by Maryland Lt. Gov.

Anthony Brown.

On July 14, military and government

employees and their families gathered

at the 5th Regiment Armory in Baltimore for the first Maryland National

Guard Youth Day.

There, children and their parents, with the support of individuals and organizations from the local community, explored

technology, science and math through a number of mobile,

interactive exhibits. 

Maj. Mark A. Ritter, a psychiatrist with the Maryland Defense

Force, first proposed the event as an avenue to introduce some

family fun into the lives of those separated by overseas deployments. 

He feels that even Soldiers deployed far from home can

indirectly benefit from these types of family support activities. I

consider providing support to the children of military members

to be an integral part of caring for the deployed Soldier, said Ritter. “Soldiers typically want to know that their families are taken

care of and [because of that]

are going to have a much

better deployment.”

Ritter first approached

The Science of Racing, a

nonprofit foundation based

in Rockville, Md., to request

their participation in the

event.

Science of Racing volunteers regularly go to schools

and attend similar events to

educate as they entertain

kids on topics such as Newton’s Three Laws of Motion.

Using a racecar to demonstrate these concepts provides an effective way to hold the

attention of an audience of kids.

“This is our way of giving back to the community,” said Science of Racing volunteer Paul W. Lee.

Nearby, kids and parents sang and danced with local children’s entertainer, Pam Minor, viewed a robotics demonstration

in action and learned how to spot constellations in the night sky

while inside a portable planetarium and much more.

Ritter hopes to see this event continue and grow larger

within the community. “I want to make sure the children are not

left out of the equation. They’re as much a part of the Soldier

and a Soldier’s work than what the Soldier does in theater.”

Youth

Appreciation

Day

Photos and Story by Specialist 

Jennifer Sardam, 29th MPAD

Darius Thompson and Alvin On create woodworking 

projects at camp.

A young MDNG family member tries

on combat gear.

A MDNG family members

answers questions at the 

Science of Racing exhibit.

An exhibitor assists a young

MDNG family member after a

trip through an igloo-shaped

planetarium.
8 Maryland Military Department

VICTORY BASE,

Iraq– It is an old

Army tradition

marking one unit leaving and another taking

its place. The flag of

one unit is ceremoniously rolled and covered by a thin green

case, while the flag of

another is taken out of

its case and displayed.

With this action,

authority has symbolically been transferred. 

In a July 10 ceremony, the 38th Division Support Command (DISCOM), Indiana National Guard,

handed responsibility

for garrison operations of Victory Base

Complex, Iraq, to the

58th Infantry Brigade

Combat Team, Maryland National Guard, who unfurled the

cross-and-bayonet 

banner symbolizing their new authority.

“Our vision is to maintain an environment where the Soldier sees Victory Base

Complex as a place of sanctuary,” said

Col. Sean Casey, the commander of the

58th IBCT, said in his first remarks as garrison commander. “Where the commander is relieved of the burden of

day-to-day garrison issues, where the 

Soldier is safe and comfortable.” 

The 58th IBCT is working hand-inhand with active duty units to fulfill this

vision. They are responsible for the facilities and daily operations of five separate

camps inside Victory including Camp

Slayer, Camp Striker, Camp Victory and

Camps Liberty East and West. These contain more than 50,000 service members

and civilians. Various mayoral cells will be

responsible for managing the living situations for the residents of their camps,

including water, power, and Morale, Welfare and Recreation. 

“To the 3rd ID and 1st Cav: You are

demanding, difficult tenants, and we love

you,” said Col. Marjorie Courtney, the

outgoing garrison commander. She went

on to ask that tenants continue to hold

the mayors to a high standard during the

58th IBCT’s tenure. 

The Transfer of Authority included a

personal touch as Casey presented Courtney with a flag that was flown over Camp

Victory as well as a 58th IBCT coin to

show his appreciation for the guidance

the 38th DISCOM had given his unit during a nine-day transition period. Learning

from them, he said, made the transition

that much smoother. 

“Through their support and mentoring we have a thorough understanding of

the keys to success at VBC,” Casey said. 

With the ceremony finished, the handover was complete. The members of the

38th DISCOM, after a year in Iraq, will

return to Indiana to till the fields of civilian life now that the 58th IBCT has picked

up their sword.

BALTIMORE, May 29, 2007 –

Company B, 3rd Battalion,

126th Aviation Regiment

deployed May 29, 2007, in preparation for service in the Global War on

Terrorism. The company initially

deployed to Fort Carson, Colo., and

includes approximately 50 Soldiers

from around the state. 

The unit, which flies CH-47

“Chinook” helicopters, is stationed

at Weide Army Airfield, Aberdeen

Proving Ground, Md. The CH-47 is

the Army’s medium-lift helicopter.

It can carry up to 19,500 pounds of

personnel, vehicles and equipment.

The unit has flown CH-47s since

2005.

The Soldiers spent approximately three months at Fort Carson

conducting specialized training

intended to prepare them for flying

in mountainous high-altitude 

terrain prior to deploying overseas.

They are expected to be mobilized

for a total of 12 months. 

There are approximately 1,180

members of the Maryland National

Guard currently deployed in support of the Global War on Terror and

other missions across the nation and

around the world. Since Sept. 11,

2001, approximately 6,500 Maryland Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen

have been mobilized and deployed.

Maryland Brigade

Assumes Iraqi Mission

From Indiana

By Sgt. S. Patrick McCollum

58th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

Maryland

Army

National

Guard 

Aviation

Company

Deploys

Command Sgt. Maj. Brian Sann, left, brigade sergeant major for the

58th Brigade Combat Team, left, and Col. Sean Casey, commander of

the 58th BCT, uncase the unit’s colors during a transfer of authority

ceremony in which the 58th BCT assumed responsibility for garrison

operations of Victory Base Complex, Iraq, from the 38th Division 

Support Command, Tuesday, July 10, 2007. The 58th BCT will be

responsible for all daily operations on VBC. U.S. Army photo by Staff

Sgt. Jon Soucy. Photo by Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy.
Digest: Fall, 2007 9

Over the years, National Guard

units have deployed to respond

to state and national emergencies

and overseas operations, but one Maryland unit was recently called upon to fight

a different kind of battle. 

From July 9 to 23, Airmen of the

Maryland Air National Guard’s 175th

Medical Group from Warfield Air National

Guard Base in Middle River, Md., along

with members of the Maryland Defense

Force recently traveled to the Sioux Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota

to provide much-needed medical services

to reservation residents.

The National Guard was augmented

by a team of seven physicians and a psychiatric clinical specialist from the Maryland Defense Force’s 10th Medical

Regiment based in Pikesville, Maryland.

Working at the Rosebud Comprehensive Health Care Facility in Rosebud, S.D.,

the service members provided many different types of services to numerous

patients including dental, optometry,

emergency room and pharmaceutical.

The unit also provided veterinary care to

animals on the Rosebud Indian Reservation.

“We have a wide assortment of medical services and they’ll all treat their own

numbers of patients,” said Master Sgt.

Kenneth M. Clark, a public health technician with the 175th. “We are out here to

take care of their backlog; to do the things

that they just don’t have time or personnel to do themselves.”

Clark said the group saw a couple

hundred patients but they were prepared

for the two-week mission. This is not the

group’s first time doing this type of 

mission. 

“We’ve been to Bosnia. We’ve been to

Peru,” said Clark. “We’ve been to Belize

and Honduras. Our unit does a lot of

humanitarian work.”

While the unit members enjoy traveling overseas and feel it is rewarding many

of them see the need to stay in the United

States.

“It makes me feel great. I love doing

this kind of stuff,” said Lt. Col. Rita M.

Kurek, a dental surgeon with the 175th.

“There is a great need for it. Our unit,

especially, has been to a lot of different

places.”

Kurek added that she was especially

happy to be helping Americans here at

home. 

Master Sgt. John W. Wissman III, first

sergeant of the medical group, agreed.

“We’re now helping our own people,” he

said. “We’re helping citizens of the United

States instead of going outside of the

country.” 

Working domestically also was beneficial to the unit in meeting its training

objectives. Members of the MDDF gained

operational experience in working in with

military healthcare providers.

“This deployment provided our medical personnel the opportunity to exercise

their professional skills in a challenging

remote environment, similar to what one

might find during a civil emergency, while

at the same time building closer ties and

exercising interoperability with our colleagues in the National Guard,” said

MDDF Col. Bob Barish, commander of

the 10th Medical Regiment. “This is our

role: to provide competent technical and

professional support to the National

Guard.”

Wissman pointed out that because

the unit was working within the United

States, there was “no language barrier”

and unit didn’t have to spend as much

time traveling as in the past.

The experience of working together

as a unit is priceless, with the interaction

helping develop the newer members of

the group.

“It helps us hone in on our own skills

and it gives us real world experience,”

said Wissman. “This allows the newer Airmen we have to interact with the most

experienced members of the unit.”

“It’s giving me a lot more confidence

than I’ve ever had,” said Airmen 1st Class

Erica A. Morga, a medical service technician with the 175th. “I had a really big fear

of blood and needles. I’ve overcome that

in the last few days.”

Marylanders Provide

Care at Indian 

Reservation

Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Rob Barker, 29th MPAD

Lt. Col. Randy Brown, commander of the 175th

Medical Group (left) and first sergeant of the

175th, Master Sgt. John W. Wissman, vaccinate

a cat at the reservation.

Master Sgt. Dan Smith, medical equipment repair specialist, inspects the lab facilities at the

Indian Reservation. 
10 Maryland Military Department

McCrady Training Center, S.C. –

Cans, bottles, paper and cardboard. That’s what most people

think of when they think of recycling. But

how about tanks and armored personnel

carriers?

Sixty-three members of the Maryland

Army National Guard’s 1229th Transportation Company at Cade Armory in Baltimore recently got a first-hand look at just

such a project during 15 days of annual

training in South Carolina.

From July 3 to 15, the 1229th, along

with the South Carolina Guard’s 1052nd

Transportation Company and the South

Carolina Department of Natural

Resources, took part in the construction of

an offshore artificial reef using stripped

surplus armored vehicles as building 

material.

The Reef-X – short for “reef exercise” –

project was instituted in 1997. It creates

habitat for marine life and facilitates recreational fishing.

This year, with the help of the Maryland Guardsmen, Reef-X transported some

212 decommissioned M-113 armored personnel carriers and over two miles of concrete pipe to the Port of Charleston. 

The APCs and concrete pipes will in

turn be taken by barges to over 40 different

sites off the South Carolina coast to make

artificial reefs. The reefs are popular destinations for recreational anglers and divers.

The Maryland Soldiers say they got a

lot out of the training.

“It was great,” said Sgt. James Fleming,

supply sergeant for the 1229th. “It helped

us train for our wartime mission while

doing something to help the environment

at the same time.”

Project Reef-X is part of the Army’s

Innovation Readiness Training Program.

Citizen-Soldiers support eligible civilian

organizations by combining required wartime training with community support

projects. Soldiers obtain the training they

need while providing communities with

valuable assistance in completing beneficial civilian projects.

In addition to their contribution to the

Reef-X project, the 1229th filled their 15-

day schedule with several special training

activities, such as preparing and verifying

load plans, convoy operations, engagement skills, basic rifle marksmanship individual weapons qualification, crew served

weapons training and familiarization, drivers training and refresher skills and updating driver records.

The Reef-X - Annual Training

Story and Photos by Master Sgt. Ron Pitts, MDNG Public Affairs

Maryland Guardsman Receives Major Award

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

Specialist Charles F. Mallon Jr., a member of

the 1229th Transportation Company, loading

some of the 30,000 tons of concrete pipes for

over 40 new reef habitats off the South 

Carolina shore.

Maryland Guardsman Sgt. Wanda R. Harris

of the 1229th Transportation Company (left)

and Specialist Antawn Brunson, a member of

South Carolina’s1052st Transportation Company, secure some of the 30,000 tons of concrete pipe for the new reef habitat off the

South Carolina shore. 

In joint operations Maryland’s 1229th Transportation Company and South Carolina’s

1052st Transportation Company unload some

of the 30,000 tons of concrete pipe that will

help build over 40 reefs off of the South 

Carolina shore at the Charleston, S.C., port.

The Maryland National Guard 

announced in July that one of its

members has been selected to

receive a prestigious national award.

Chief Master Sgt. Terry M. Allen, of

Bel Air, Md., has been selected as the winner of the Air Force Association’s annual

“Chief Master Sgt. Dick Red Award.”

The award recognizes exceptional

technical expertise in aircraft maintenance, leadership in the unit, contributions to unit training, and improvement

of equipment capability, reliability and

maintainability.

Allen is aircraft maintenance supervisor for the 175th Aircraft Maintenance

Squadron at Warfield Air National Guard

Base in Middle River, Md. He is only the

second Maryland National Guard member ever to receive the award. The first

was Chief Master Sgt. William Youngworth, who was the 1991 recipient.

“Words cannot express the pride I

feel when a member of the Maryland

National Guard receives this level of

recognition,” said Maj. Gen. Bruce F. Tuxill, the adjutant general of Maryland.

“Chief Allen is the perfect example of the

quality of the men and women who serve

in the Maryland National Guard.” Chief Master Sgt Terry M. Allen.
Digest: Fall, 2007 11

Hoyer Hosts 5th

Congressional

District Military

Dinner

By Quentin Banks, MDMILDEP 

Public Affairs

Photos by Airman 1st Class Renae L.

Kleckner, Andrews AFB Public Affairs

Congressman Steny H. Hoyer mugs for the

camera with Staff Sgt. Thomas Kelly, a

member of the Maryland Army National

Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation 

Regiment.

Maj. Gen. Bruce F. Tuxill, The Adjutant

General of Maryland, presents Congressman Steny H. Hoyer a Minuteman 

statuette in recognition of his support

of the Maryland National Guard.

Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, representing

Maryland’s 5th Congressional District,

hosted a dinner July 20 at Andrews Air

Force Base Golf Course club house for

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the

regular components, the Maryland

National Guard and the reserves. Maj.

Gen. Bruce F. Tuxill, the adjutant general of Maryland, introduced Hoyer to

an audience of approximately 60 military personnel and their spouses. The

congressman used the occasion to

hold a public discussion of issues of

concern to members of the armed

forces, many of whom had previously

been deployed in combat areas.

Issues that were discussed included

health care, military equipment, frequency of deployments, discussions of

the cultures encountered overseas

and finances.

Civil Air Patrol, Military

Department Formalize

Relationship

By Capt. Brenda Reed, CAP Public Affairs

The Civil Air Patrol’s Maryland

Wing joined the Maryland 

Military Department to formally

sign a Memorandum of Understanding

(MOU) during a recent ceremony held

at the adjutant general’s office in 

Baltimore. 

Maj. Gen. Bruce Tuxill, Adjutant

General of Maryland, and Col. Gerard

Weiss, Maryland Wing commander,

signed the document which formalizes

the agreement to support each other in

accomplishing their respective 

missions.

For many years, the two organizations have supported one another without a formal agreement. The Maryland

National Guard provides logistic and

personnel for the CAP’s annual TriWing Encampment, along with providing cadets with orientation flights in

C-130s and base tours. Warfield Air

National Guard base provides ramp

space for the CAP’s GA-8 Airvan and

allows the CAP to use their facilities as

needed for functions such as the cadet

ball and Cadet Advisory Council picnic.

In addition, the Guard assists the Maryland Wing with legislative support for

funding.

“I continue to be impressed by the

professionalism our volunteer members display while working side by side

with our Army and Air National Guard

counterparts,” said CAP Maj. Joe Winter, Maryland Wing director of cadet

programs and military liaison officer.

“The dedication of our members helps

ease the stress of the Guard members

who are deployed all around the

world.”

Maryland Wing cadets especially

enjoy working alongside the National

Guard, providing them with direct

exposure to the military lifestyle and

career opportunities.

“Our partnership with the Maryland Military Department has led to

numerous enlistments of our cadet

members in both the Air and Army

National Guard,” Winter said. “Our

cadets look up to our hometown

heroes and often report back to us that

they were motivated to join the Guard

by the experience they received while

working alongside members of the

Guard and interacting with them during our annual Tri-Wing Encampment.

Our partnership with the Military

Department should serve as a benchmark for CAP Wing and state guards

throughout the country.”

In return, the Maryland Wing provides ongoing support to the dining

hall, family days, and welcome home

and special ceremonies. Homeland

Security missions on behalf of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency

are performed during the summer

months with the annual Bay Patrol and

Bay Bridge Patrols.

“Our cadet and officer members

proudly volunteer countless hours to

support our Air and Army National

Guard members and they continue to

stand ready in additional tasking while

at the same time performing our

numerous state, region, and national

missions tasked to us as CAP members

in the Maryland Wing,” Winter said.

The U.S. Civil Air Patrol, the official

auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, was

founded on Dec. 1, 1941, less than a

week before the Japanese attack on

Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. into

World War II. The CAP is a nonprofit

organization with more than 55,000

members nationwide. The organization’s members perform 95 percent of

continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions, as tasked by the Air

Force’s Rescue Coordination Center,

and was credited by the AFRCC with

saving 58 lives in 2006. Its volunteers

also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counterdrug missions at

the request of federal, state and local

agencies. Members play a leading role

in aerospace education and serve as

mentors to the more than 22,000

young people currently participating in

the CAP cadet program.

There are approximately 1,300 CAP

members in Maryland. For information

about the Maryland Wing of CAP, visit

http://mdcap.org.
12 Maryland Military Department

THE LECTERN

The Maryland Military Department

has the unique and diverse

resource of three components to

provide support to our soldiers, airmen and their families. The Maryland

Defense Force, Maryland Air National

Guard and Maryland Army National

Guard chaplains and chaplain assistants work together as a nearly seamless team to provide support as

needed or requested for all of our

Guard members and their dependents.

Each of the three team members

brings unique perspectives and sometimes unique abilities to the common

operating environment of traditional

drill weekends, state missions, and

homeland defense/homeland security

missions. When deployed outside the

United States in a federal status the

Maryland Army and Maryland Air

Guard chaplains and assistants retain

and utilize their service component

specific methods and parameters of

operation, but while here in the state

or nation we they all work together to

accomplish the shared mission.

Every year the chaplains and assistants of the Maryland Military Department gather for training together in

common skills and competencies, so

they can work interchangeably when

required. The training is planned and

sponsored by the Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ) Chaplain’s Office.

Throughout the year this allows the

JFHQ chaplain to utilize any and all

Maryland Military Department chaplains and assistants to provide for the

religious support and ensure the religious expression of every Maryland

Guard member, as well as provide

spiritual counsel and support in traditional and emergency situations.

As an extension of the ministry

capability of the Maryland Military

Department chaplains and assistants

are 39 “Partners in Care” congregations that have signed a memorandum

of understanding with the Maryland

National Guard allowing for referral of

Guard members and their families for

support in time of crisis or need.

These congregations have been a

tremendous source of support to

scores of Maryland’s Citizen-Soldiers

and Airmen.

Any clergy or congregation interested in serving as a chaplain, chaplain

assistant, or Partner in Care congregation is welcome to contact Chaplain

(Col.) Sean Lee at 410-576-6124, or

william.sean.lee@us.army.mil for more

information.

Consider Joining the Chaplain Team

By Chaplain (Col.) Sean Lee

Two Chaplains from the Maryland

Defense Force (MDDF) recently

spent their summer vacation supporting the Maryland Army National

Guard’s Officer Candidate School at Camp

Fretterd, in Reisterstown, Md.

For two weeks in June, Chaplain (Lt.

Col.) Charles Nalls and Chaplain (Lt. Col.)

Anthony Hollis, both assigned to Headquarters, MDDF, supported the two-week

training exercise for Maryland’s Officer

Candidate School (OCS) phase one.

“The National Guard and Defense

Force personnel worked as a seamless

team throughout the exercise,” explained

Nalls. “The MDDF chaplains are the dedicated chaplain support for the 70th Regiment.”

OCS is a mentally and physically challenging course designed to educate and

train enlisted soldiers to serve as federally

commissioned officers in the National

Guard. The program is conducted in several phases. Phase one is two weeks long

and focuses on military leadership, Army

operations, planning and conducting training, and land navigation. One week is

spent in the field and one week in garrison.

During the two-week training, the

chaplains conducted worship services and

accompanied the students in all aspects of

their training. 

“OCS is designed to be strenuous,”

said Nalls. “We’re growing leaders that

need to be able to think and act under

stress. One of the roles of military chaplains is to monitor that stress and to counsel young soldiers on how to deal with it,

for both themselves and those they lead.”

Nalls is the director of MDDF’s Chaplain Services which currently has a strength

of 10 chaplains and two chaplain’s assistants and is growing. 

“Our goal is to reach 20 chaplains and

20 assistants,” added Nalls. “We support

Soldiers and Airmen of all faiths, and are

recruiting chaplains from across the faiths

as well.”

Support to annual training is just one

of many missions undertaken by the

MDDF Chaplain’s Corps. Additionally,

they provide a wide variety of support to

National Guard units including spiritual

counseling during unit training, deployment and welcome home ceremonies;

counseling for families of deployed

Guardsmen; and post deployment stress

counseling. Additionally, Chaplain Nalls

deployed to Louisiana in support of Hurricane Katrina Operations. In late 2006,

MDDF chaplains were mobilized to provide support at BWI airport as hundreds of

Americans returned to the U.S. after being

evacuated from Lebanon.

Chaplains Bring Guidance, Counsel

to Future National Guard Officers

By Maj. (MD) Robert Hastings, MDDF Public Affairs
Digest: Fall, 2007 13

TALLIN, Estonia, Aug. 11, 2007 – A

U.S. military team composed entirely

of members of the Maryland Army

National Guard recently took third place

among international countries in what is

billed as “world’s longest and most difficult

military competition.”

Members of the Maryland National

Guard comprised one of 28 teams that participated in the six grueling days of competition held over 1,000 square kilometers of

northern Estonia.

With the military delegations of nine

countries standing together in formation,

the 14th annual Erna Raid competition,

considered one of the world’s longest and

most difficult military competitions, kicked

off in Estonia’s capital city of Tallinn Aug. 6. 

Represented at this year’s competition

were the United States, Germany, Finland,

Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Czech Republic, Portugal and Estonia. In addition,

China and Romania sent official observers.

Members of the Maryland Army

National Guard represented the United

States during the competition. Maryland

and Estonia have been partners for 14

years in the National Guard’s State Partnership Program. 

The purpose of the State Partnership

Program, according to the U.S. Embassy in

Estonia, is “to strengthen military-to-military contacts between the United States

military and the military of Estonia, which

had only achieved independence from the

Soviet Union in 1991.”

The six-day military competition

involved 28 four-man teams competing

over a 1,000-square-kilometer course filled

with difficult terrain. Competition started

with an amphibious assault landing and

then continued with day and night military

orienteering combined with individual and

vehicle obstacle courses, rifle marksmanship, knife throwing, urban combat, 

negotiating simulated minefields and the

mining of bridges, medical casualty

response, a 10-kilometer run and other

tasks. Competitors were afforded little

opportunity to rest.

The U.S. team finished third among

international teams this year, matching last

year’s results. The team ranked 15th in this

year’s overall competition, edging out the

team from Denmark.

Maryland Army Guard Takes Third

Place In Erna Raid Competition

By Staff Sgt. Howard K. Hodges, 29th MPAD

On Aug. 13, during the summer

recess, 33 staffers from Maryland’s Congressional Delegation

accepted an invitation from Maj. Gen

Bruce Tuxill, the adjutant general of

Maryland to visit the Maryland Military

Department. 

Representatives from the offices of

Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin,

and Reps. Steny Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersburger, Elijah Cummings, and John Sarbanes were welcomed by Tuxill and his

staff at Warfield Air National Guard Base

in Middle River, Md. Also attending were

members of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s homeland security and federal policy staff team.

Some arrived by a Maryland Air

National Guard C-130 Hercules cargo 

aircraft, some arrived by Maryland Army

National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk 

helicopter and others drove. The guests

received briefings of the current status of

each of the four branches of the Maryland

Military Department

and had the opportunity to pose questions

to General Tuxill and

his top commanders. 

“The visit of these

members of Maryland’s Congressional

delegation staff is

important because it is

vital that they come

away from their time

with us with a better

understanding of who

we are and what we

can do for Maryland

and our country,” said

Tuxill. “Just as my staff keeps me

informed of important issues that affect

the Maryland Military Department...these

staffers keep their respective leaders

informed of important issues that impact

Maryland. We have an important story to

tell and these are the folks that need to

hear it.” 

The staffers toured static displays of

equipment and aircraft found in the

MDMILDEP inventory. They also received

orientation flights on the C-130J aircraft

and the UH-60 helicopter.

MDMILDEP Hosts

Maryland 

Congressional 

Delegation Staff 

By Quentin Banks, MDMILDEP Public Affairs

Photo by Specialist Elizabeth Jones, MDNG Public Affairs

Maj. April Walker, a pilot with the Maryland Air National Guard’s

135th Airlift Squadron, points out some of the features of the C-130J

to Heather Campbell, a congressional staffer from Sen. Ben

Cardin’s office.
14 Maryland Military Department

Army aviation is the same whether

you are active duty, National Guard,

or Reserve. National Guard pilots

fly the same helicopters as active duty

pilots and active duty aircraft mechanics

have the same training that National

Guard mechanics do. There is, however,

one very big difference between the two.

In the entire Army there are four Aviation

Classification Repair Activity Depots and

one Headquarters, Aviation Depot Maintenance Round-Out Unit and they are all

in the National Guard.

To be more accurate, there used to

be four AVCRADs and one HQ ADMRU;

however, by 2006 the four AVCRADs had

each deployed in support of Operation

Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring

Freedom and with the deployment cycle

about to come full circle it was time to

validate a new concept in Army aviation

logistics and create the “fifth” AVCRAD.

By bringing together HQ ADMRU,

located on the Edgewood Area of

Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland,

and Aviation Intermediate Maintenance

experienced Soldiers from 16 states,

including Maryland, a

“fifth” AVCRAD was

officially formed on

July 11, 2006 and

became Task Force

AVCRAD currently

deployed here. 

What makes the

transition of the

ADMRU into the “fifth”

AVCRAD noteworthy is

that the ADMRU is not

an organic AVCRAD.

“Col. Peterson, who

was the commander

several times back, called this a graduate

level organization,” said Col. Timothy

Gowan, Commander of HQ ADMRU and

TF AVCRAD. “No one outside of aviation, actually no one even outside of HQ

ADMRU, seems to know what we do.” 

As a rank heavy command and control cell more used to developing concepts of operations, allocating resources,

and providing necessary coordination to

accomplish the mission; “graduate level

organization” would certainly seem an

appropriate description. 

Don’t let that

description fool you

though; this “fifth”

AVCRAD has proven as

TF AVCRAD, they are

much more than a

graduate level organization of developers

and planners. 

Over the course of

the last year TF

AVCRAD Fix Forward teams were sent to

bases in Iraq and Afghanistan to provide

direct depot level maintenance and AVIM

support to the Combat Aviation Brigades

in theatre resulting in more than 28,000

man-hours of direct support to units, a

direct increase of 30 percent over previous rotations. 

A few of their other accomplishments include completing more than

5,800 separate work orders; producing

over 1,400 aviation components under

the National Maintenance Program with

a serviceable credit value of $116.7 million; executing in excess of 412,000 supply transactions; and processing 574

critical Aircraft on the Ground requests. 

If that isn’t enough, they also have

installed Level Five Up-Armor on 220

HUMVEEs and crew modification kits to

the inside of, and armor and slats to the

outside of, several hundred Stryker vehicles. Not bad for a rank heavy, command

and control cell.

TF AVCRADs success, however, isn’t

only in what has been accomplished in

The “Fifth” AVCRAD

By Master Sgt. Anne W. Trainer, 29th MPAD

Members of the ADMRU evaluate the maintenance schedule to determine priorities. Photo by Master Sgt. Anne W. Trainer, 29th MPAD.

A UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter is offloaded from a transport ship

where it is assembled for service. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Iris CruzStory, TF AVCRAD.

A company of AH-64 Apache attack helicopters sit on the dock awaiting

assembly for service. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Melanie Hughes, Kentucky

Army National Guard.
Digest: Fall, 2007 15

the aviation logistics and maintenance

areas, but also in how well this group of

Soldiers from 16 different states has been

able to come together as a unit. It’s one

thing to deploy thousands of miles from

home with a unit that has been together

for a long period of time, but to do it as a

unit that has just been formed is something else altogether.

One of the first things you notice

when you walk into any of the work areas

for TF AVCRAD is that easy familiarity and

sense of friendship the Soldiers have with

each other, as if they really have been

together for years. It makes it hard to

believe they have only been together for

about 12 months. 

In the supply shop it’s easy to see that

these Soldiers have adapted well to each

other and their surroundings. Pictures of

families, friends, and favorite sports

teams are on display over workbenches. 

“We’re fortunate in this shop because

we have a very good working relationship, very good rapport with each other,”

said Sgt. 1st Class Sharon Norton, TF

AVCRAD supply coordinator from Joppa,

Maryland. One of the best things about

this deployment, said Norton, has been

the people. “I really can say the people,

some people around here really keep it

going, keep you laughing, keep you motivated; really good people, contractors

and Soldiers.”

The creation of this “fifth” AVCRAD

and subsequent deployment has also

been beneficial to the Soldiers as a skill

enhancement experience. “My level of

experience is definitely a lot higher than it

was,” said Staff Sgt. Joseph Gray, aircraft

power plant repairer from Bel Air, 

Maryland, 

“World’s of experience have been

gained here, immeasurable amounts of

experience,” Gray said. “You see things

break here that you’re not going to see

back home. So everything you learn here

will be invaluable tenfold back home.”

Those same sentiments were

expressed by Staff Sgt. Scottie Davis,

avionics systems repairer from Baltimore,

Maryland. “You’ll definitely take this

experience back to your unit and pass it

on to your junior Soldiers,” he said. 

The Soldiers that make up TF

AVCRAD will eventually return to their

respective states and units and their lives

will once again become routine. It is

doubtful, however, that anyone will forget

what they have accomplished or the experience they have gained as part of TF

AVCRAD. 

HQ ADMRU will resume their role as

the command and control cell for the

four AVCRADs forever changed by this

experience as the “fifth” AVCRAD. They

have definitely proven they are much

more than that “graduate level organization” of years past. Not only will Aviation

know who they are and what they do but

so will the rest of the National Guard. 

Tech. Sgt. Latisha R. Moulds was one

of only 23 servicemembers selected

from across the armed forces to

compete as part of the U.S. team at the

2007 Conseil International du Sport Militaire World Games in Hyderabad, India. 

Participating in the CISM World Games

had long been a goal for Moulds, who represented the U.S. in the 100-meter dash,

200-meter dash and 100-meter relay

events, taking fourth place in her heat in

the 100-meter.

“It’s something I’ve been working

towards for the past five years,” she said. 

Moulds began her military career as an

Army Reservist in 1995 but transferred to

the Air National Guard two-and-a-half years

later. She has been assigned to the Maryland Air National Guard’s 175th Wing since

2006, where she works full time as an Air

National Guard recruiter.

“This is just another example of the

incredible quality of today’s Guard members,” said Maj. Gen. Bruce F. Tuxill, the

adjutant general of Maryland. “It takes topflight individuals to make up a world-class

organization, and Sgt. Moulds is proof positive that the Maryland National Guard is

composed of just those types of people.”

In addition to her work as a recruiter,

Moulds coaches girls' high school track.

Maryland Guardsman Represents

U.S. In World CISM Games

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

Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Jim Foard, 175th Wing Public Affairs

Members of TF AVCRAD perform maintenance on a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter. Photo provided by

TF AVCRAD.

Tech. Sgt. Latisha R. Moulds
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, Fifth Regiment Armory, Baltimore, Md. 21201-2288. Articles or suggestions can be forwarded to the editor

at paomd@md.ngb.army.mil or call us at 

410-576-6179.

Martin O’Malley

Governor

Anthony G. Brown

Lt. Governor

Maj. Gen. Bruce F. Tuxill

The Adjutant General

Quentin Banks

Director of Public Affairs

Spc. Elizabeth Jones

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

compnet.comp.state.md.us

Maryland Military DepartmentDigest

Commissary For 

All Military Members

Continued from page 3

Programs such as Better Opportunity for Single Soldiers, Single

Marine Program and Navy Liberty as

well as the Air Force First Term Airmen centers, get personal tours of

commissaries, win commissary gift

certificates funded by industry, and

earn Bonus Bucks for their programs through competition for the

best tours and events during the

month-long event.

Another customer favorite, the

annual May worldwide case lot sale,

also takes place at nearly all commissaries. Customers can find savings of

up to 50 percent over regular prices

at case lot sales. It’s an experience

difficult to describe – and impossible to

duplicate. Case lot sale dates and locations are available on DeCA’s official Web

site at http://www.commissaries.com.

The Defense Commissary Agency

operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military 

personnel, retirees and their families in a

safe and secure shopping environment.

Authorized patrons purchase items at cost

plus a five percent surcharge, which 

covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones.

Shoppers save an average of more than 30

percent on their purchases compared to

commercial prices – savings worth about

$3,000 annually for a family of four.

Commissary merchandise lines the floors of the

warehouse.