Maryland Defense Force
Commands
Troop Command
The primary mission of the Troop Command, Maryland Defense Force is to command, control, and supervise Maryland Defense Force units attached to the Troop Command and to provide manned, trained and equipped field force packaged units capable of immediate expansion and available for service in time of a natural or man made national emergency or when appropriate to augment the Maryland Military Department consisting of the Army National Guard, Air National Guard and Maryland Emergency Management Agency.
Joint Staff
The Joint Staff is the MD NG Staff Reponsible for the Domestic Operations. It is lead by a BG and is a fully integrated Staff containing Service Members from the Army National Guard, Air National Guard, and the MDDF. The MDDF currently has 10 staff positions supporting the J1 - Personnel, UPAD - Unclassified Processing, Assessment and Dissemination , J3 - Operations, J4 - Logistics, J5/7 - Planning and Training, J6 - Comms and J8-Finance.
Chaplains Corps
An organized and dedicated Chaplain Corps assists MDNG members, their families, and the community at large. When not activated for emergency state service, the individuals in this command provide chaplain support, as requested, to the several MDNG units throughout the state. Such support may include individual counseling, and the provision of regular Unit Training Assembly religious services at all unit level.
Professional Service Detachment
The Professional Services Detachment includes legal and finance Officers and enlisted personnel that support the National Guard (NG) and their families as they navigate deployments, retirement, and other issues that may arise during deployment. Members of this unit support the NG Soldier Readiness Processing (SRP), Retirement Briefs, and the Yellow Ribbon Program where Service Members and their families can access information on health care, education and training opportunities, financial, and legal benefits.
27th Training Battalion
The 27th Battalion is responsible for the recruitment and training of all MDDF personnel. It manages the Recruiting and Retention group, the Initial Entry Training (IET), Professional Military Education Courses, and Force wide Specialized training. It also includes the Military Emergency Management Specialist (MEMS) Academy which manages the MEMS training curriculum and certification.
Alpha Company
The mission of Alpha Company is to provide broad emergency management support to the MDDF, Maryland Military Department (MMD), Maryland Emergency Management (MDEM), and county / municipal Offices of Emergency Management (OEM) in the Western Maryland Region. This includes training and providing emergency managers and situation analysts specialists. This unit drills in Hagerstown, MD.
Bravo Company
The mission of Bravo Company is to provide broad emergency management support to the MDDF, Maryland Military Department (MMD), Maryland Emergency Management (MDEM), and county / municipal Offices of Emergency Management (OEM) in the Southern Maryland Region. This includes training and providing emergency managers and situation analysts specialists. This unitis in the process of forming.
Charlie Company - Emergency Operations
The mission of Charlie Company is to provide broad emergency management support to the MDDF, Maryland Military Department (MMD), Maryland Emergency Management (MDEM), and county / municipal Offices of Emergency Management (OEM). This includes training and providing emergency managers, situation analysts, and operational weather specialists. C Company is also tasked with conducting emergency management training and research and development in the field of emergency response operations support.
Delta Company (Maryland Eastern Shore)
The mission of Delta Company is to provide broad emergency management support to the MDDF, Maryland Military Department (MMD), Maryland Emergency Management (MDEM), and county / municipal Offices of Emergency Management (OEM) in the Eastern Shore of Maryland Region. This includes training and providing emergency managers and situation analysts specialists. This unit drills in Easton, MD.
Cyber Defense Unit
The MDDF 256th Cyber Defense Unit (CDU) provides competent and professional expertise to the Maryland Army National Guard (MDARNG), the Maryland Air National Guard (MDANG), the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), and other Maryland agencies at the state and local levels in support of cyber defense programs, efforts, and initiatives.
Hunt Operations Team
Our Hunt Operations Team can be looked at as digital detectives who continuously search for and neutralize hidden threats within systems. The Hunt Operations Team actively searches for hidden threats within a network that traditional security measures might miss. Threat hunting practitioners analyze logs, user activity, and network traffic to identify suspicious patterns or indicators of compromise (IOCs). Based on their findings, the team recommends and with permission from our stakeholders, implements changes to strengthen their defenses and prevent future attacks.
Vulnerability Assess/Penetration Testing/Survey & Secure Team
The Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) team is our organization's cyber security strike force. They proactively identify weaknesses in systems and applications by:
Scanning for vulnerabilities: Using automated tools to find known flaws in your software and infrastructure.
Simulating attacks: Acting like ethical hackers to exploit vulnerabilities and see if they can gain unauthorized access.
Reporting and fixing: Clearly documenting the security risks they find and working with other teams to patch vulnerabilities and improve your overall security posture.
Incident Response and Recovery Section
The Incident Response and Recovery (IRR) team acts as our organization's emergency crew in the face of a cyber security attack. Their primary focus is to:
Contain the incident: They quickly take steps to isolate the problem and prevent further damage. This might involve shutting down compromised systems or restricting user access.
Eradicate the threat: They identify and eliminate the root cause of the attack, such as malware or unauthorized access points.
Recover operations: They work to restore affected systems and data to normal functioning as quickly and safely as possible.
Investigate and learn: They analyze the incident to understand how it happened and what improvements can be made to prevent similar attacks in the future.
IT/IS Infrastructure Section
The Information Technology Infrastructure Team works to provide the Force with secure and assured information technology (IT) and communication services, wherever and whenever required. Staffed with experienced IT professionals that work in many areas of the IT and communications field, they support MDDF units in their functions with IT and communications services, train personnel in the use of IT and communications systems, perform network/computer systems maintenance and repair, enable data integration with units/agencies/departments, and perform other duties as required.
Signals Company
The Signals Company is the communication backbone of the MDDF. They ensure commanders and soldiers can stay connected and share information when operating in the field. Key tasks include:
Setting up and maintaining communication networks: This includes deploying radios, cables, satellites, and other technologies to establish reliable communication channels.
Establishing Secure communications: The Signals Company implements encryption and other security measures to safeguard sensitive information from interception.
Operating communication systems: Soldiers in the Signals Company keep these systems running smoothly, ensuring clear and uninterrupted communication.
Troubleshooting and fixing problems: When communication glitches arise, they diagnose and fix the issue to maintain network uptime.
Supporting other units: The Signals Company provides communication support to other MDDF units and partners when necessary.
10th Medical Regiment
The 10th Medical Regiment provides assistance to the several units of the Maryland National Guard throughout the state. Such activities may include assistance with periodic physical examinations, conducting first aid and related training, and/or presenting required medical lectures.
In addition to supporting the MDDF mission, the 10th Medical Regiment serves the State of Maryland by providing professional, technical, military, emergency management, and public health services.
The 10th Medical Regiment’s vision is “A Healthy and Resilient Maryland.” Its mission is to augment the State's medical and healthcare infrastructure; bridge public health and emergency management infrastructure gaps; and, address the public health needs of vulnerable populations in under-served areas of the State.
The 10th MED is also certified by the State of Maryland as a Community Health Resource.
The 10th Medical Regiment personnel focuses on mitigation and preparation by providing medical readiness and emergency preparedness training for individuals and organizations throughout the State. Personnel also support disaster trainings and exercises with planning, participation, and exercise evaluation.
The 10th MED’s units are:
Medical Readiness Training Academy - Conducts First Aid, Basic Life Support, Naloxone usage, infection control courses, and the STOP THE BLEED hemorrhage control, for which the 10th MED is a DOD Educational Licensee.
Health Services Division - Consists of various teams able to provide health and wellness training and public health disaster support. In partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Central Maryland Area Health Education Center, 10th MED personnel also participate in health fairs conducting basic health screening for underserved populations.
The Behavioral Health Team - Provides consultation and Psychological First Aid support.
Medical Reserve Corps Company - The 10th MED is a Federally-Certified Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) unit. It is the only MRC unit in the nation that has both uniformed and civilian personnel. The civilian MRC Responders in the Medical Reserve Corps Company drill, exercise, train, and deploy with their uniformed colleagues.
The US Department of Health and Human Services honored the unit with the 2021 MRC Program Recognition Award for Innovation due to its service and performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the only MRC unit to have deployed internationally: with the MD National Guard for a medical and humanitarian mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Personnel also deployed to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to provide surge medical support to local healthcare agencies and to provide medical care to survivors.
The 10th MED maintains the following affiliations and seeks new affiliations that will contribute to its vision of creating “A Healthy and Resilient Maryland”:
American Safety & Health Institute
Anne Arundel County OEM
Emergency Management Committee
Local Emergency Planning Committee
Training & Exercise Committee
Baltimore County Emergency Management Coalition
Baltimore County Office of Emergency Management
Baltimore Metropolitan Council
Urban Security Security Initiatives
Howard County
Local Emergency Planning Committee
Community Organizations Active in Disasters (COAD)
MD Department of Health Maryland’s Commitment to Veterans Program
Maryland Hospital Association
Hospital Preparedness Program
Maryland Region III Health and Medical Coalition
Network of the National Library of Medicine
State Guard Association of the United States
Medical Academy
Military Emergency Management Specialist Academy
US Department of Defense
STOP THE BLEED Coalition Ambassador Program
STOP THE BLEED Educational Licensee
University of Maryland School of Medicine, Central Maryland Area Health
Education Center
NOAA/NWS Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador Program
The 10th Medical Regiment welcomes applicants for uniformed service as well as Civilian Responders for its Medical Reserve Corps Company.
Applicants interested in uniformed service, follow the directions listed elsewhere on this website.
Civilians interested in joining the Medical Reserve Corps Company need to go to the MD Responds Medical Reserve Corps website at https://mdresponds.health.maryland.gov/. Create an account, complete the application, and choose the 10th MED MRC Company as your unit. A representative will contact you to complete the application process.
121st Engineer Regiment
The 121st Engineer Regiment provides a professional organized, trained, disciplined, uniformed rapid response volunteer force of engineers of all disciplines to assist the Maryland Military Department, state and local government agencies, and civil relief organizations in response to any impending or actual emergency.
MDDF Band
The Maryland Defense Force Band provides musical support for the Maryland Defense Force, provides back up support for the 229th Army Band, and provides supplemental professional musical support to the Maryland Military Department (MMD) and the Maryland National Guard (MDNG) as required. The mission of the Maryland Defense Force Band is to enhance community relations, general recruitment, and troop morale. Its goal is to communicate the mission of the Maryland Defense Force and the duties it performs for the Maryland Military Department.
The MDDF Band was established in February 2009 and started with 33 members strong. Members are prior military service musicians and civilian musicians giving their time to serve the State of Maryland. Many of these members are music teachers in the State of Maryland.
The MDDF Band has performed for many civilian events, to include: musical support for the graduation of the MDDF Initial Entry Training Candidates, Summer Concerts, Military Change of Command Ceremonies, Local Parades, Warrant Officer and Commissioned Officer Graduations for the State of Maryland National Guard, and augmenting the 229th Army Band for ceremonies and concerts. The band performed for the Inauguration of Governor Lawrence Hogan in January of 2015 and the Inauguration of Governor Wes Moore in January 2023.
