121st Engineer Regiment Honors Veterans and Conducts Field Training

By: CPT(MD)Stephen Rice
Maryland Defense Force Public Affairs
November 14, 2011

On November 11th and 12th, the 121st Engineer Regiment of the Maryland Defense Force (MDDF) honored U.S. military veterans and conducted a field training exercise at the Maryland National Guard’s Lauderick Creek Training Facility in Edgewood, Maryland. Personnel from the MDDF’s Signal Corps, Chaplain Corps and 10th Medical Regiment also participated in the training activities. The training exercise provided all of the participants with an excellent opportunity sharpen military skills and practice orienteering in an operational environment.

On Friday November 11th the MDDF training exercise attendees hosted a Veterans Day dinner and ceremony in honor of America’s heroes. Ten local U.S. military veterans were the guests of honor and each gave a short autobiography of their military service. Col. (MDDF) Steven Arndt presided over the ceremony and Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Brian R. Kelm, the commanding general of the MDDF served as the keynote speaker for the evening. In his remarks, Gen. Kelm expressed his heartfelt appreciation for all that the honorees did while in uniform and for what they continue to do as patriotic citizens.

Early on November 12th, the training exercise commenced with roll call, breakfast and a two mile hike. After a short briefing on land navigation and radio communications procedures, the training mission was provided. By the end of the day, MDDF personnel had successfully set-up a field based Emergency Operaertions Center, erected a Radio Command Post and worked their way through an elaborate land navigation course. The training mission’s officer in charge, Capt. (MDDF) Jeff James commented that it was, “gratifying to see the MDDF personnel accomplish the mission objectives and execute the operation with such proficiency.” Col. (MDDF) Steven Arndt, commander of the 121st Engineers added that, “a commitment to teamwork was the backbone of the training module’s success and it is the foundation of our support to the Maryland Military Department.”

The Maryland Defense Force (MDDF) is the State’s uniformed volunteer military unit providing professional and technical assistance to the Maryland Military Department. Established in 1917, the MDDF consists of nearly 450 personnel who perform legal, engineering, finance, medical, chaplain, field support and ceremonial services for the State of Maryland. For more information: http://mddf.maryland.gov.

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Maryland Defense Force 10th Medical Regiment Gets New Commander

By CPT(MD) Stephen Rice
Maryland Defense Force Public Affairs
06 September 2011

On September 6, 2011 Col. (MDDF) Walter Hettinger assumed command of the Maryland Defense Force’s 10th Medical Regiment from the previous regimental commander, Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Stanley Minken. Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Minken transitioned to a new position as the Medical Advisor to the commanding general of the Maryland Defense Force, Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Brian R. Kelm.

Dr. Walter Hettinger graduated from Kenwood High School in Baltimore County prior to enlisting in the U.S. Army where he rose to the rank of staff sergeant. While serving in the U.S. Army, Col. (MDDF) Hettinger studied Russian at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey California and specialized as a voice interceptor.

Following his military service, Col. (MDDF) Hettinger attended Johns Hopkins University where he received a bachelor’s degree in biophysics and also did graduate work in the same field. After graduating from Johns Hopkins University, Col. (MDDF) Hettinger attended the University of Maryland School of Medicine. While he was enrolled as a medical student, Dr. Hettinger received the prestigious Maryland Family Practice Scholarship and a Bureau of Indian Affairs Scholarship. While in his senior year in medical school, he received a commission from the U.S. Public Health Service as an ensign and worked at the Quinault Indian Reservation in Taholah, Washington. As a Native American member of the Yankton Sioux tribe this important mission was of special significance to Col. (MDDF) Hettinger.

After graduation from medical school Dr. Hettinger completed a family medicine residency and an obstetrics and gynecology fellowship in family medicine. Since his residency, Dr. Hettinger has worked in emergency medicine at hospitals from Maryland’s Eastern Shore to the Baltimore region. He is currently Board Certified in emergency medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. Currently he serves as an attending physician at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Towson, Maryland.

While serving with the MDDF, Dr. Hettinger has coordinated various officer candidate and post deployment health assessment missions with the Maryland National Guard. In 2007 he also participated in an Air National Guard humanitarian mission to the Rosebud Indian Reservation. Col. (MDDF) Hettinger is the recipient of the Maryland Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), the Maryland Commendation Medal (three awards), the Maryland Defense Force Achievement Medal, the Maryland Emergency Service Medal (two awards) and the Maryland Humanitarian Service Medal.

The Maryland Defense Force (MDDF) is the State’s uniformed volunteer military unit providing professional and technical assistance to the Maryland Military Department. Established in 1917, the MDDF consists of nearly 450 personnel who perform legal, engineering, finance, medical, chaplain, field support and ceremonial services for the State of Maryland. For more information: www.mddf.maryland.gov.

Maryland Defense Force Mobilizes to Support State of Maryland Response to Hurricane Irene

By CPT(MD) Stephen Rice
Maryland Defense Force Public Affairs
05 September 2011

As part of the State of Maryland’s preparation for the effects of Hurricane Irene, elements of the Maryland Defense Force (MDDF) mobilized to support the total force response of the Maryland Military Department. In total, eight MDDF units were engaged and 70 MDDF personnel contributed to the effort. These MDDF personnel accumulated 2,156 hours of service over four days and saved the State of Maryland $100,548.39.

MDDF Rapid Action Team (RAT) personnel were activated to augment the Maryland National Guard Adaptive Battle Staff at the Maryland Joint Operations Center. They served as liaison officers and provided twenty-four hour support for three positions that facilitated the coordination of relief and recovery efforts. In addition, the MDDF Operations and Training Unit established a Tactical Operations Center to manage MDDF assets in the field of operations.

Posted at the Easton Armory in order to provide direct support to Maryland residents that were in the path of the storm were personnel from the MDDF’s 121st Engineering Regiment, 10th Medical Regiment, Field Detachment Delta and Chaplain Corps. Field operations conducted by these units included structural damage assessments and tree removal to aid civilian transportation on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The overall MDDF effort was augmented by leadership from the MDDF command staff, technical support from the Information Technology and Communications Unit and the activation of MDDF assets assigned to the Maryland National Guard County Liaison Team (CoLT).

Col. (MDDF) James F. Coleman served as the Officer In Charge of the MDDF mobilization. He proudly noted that, “Our officers and enlisted personnel throughout the state showed pride and professionalism in the performance of their duties.” Capt. (MDDF) Michael Behringer, the commander of the RAT expressed that, “This gave us a great opportunity to test and refine our operational integration with other elements of the Maryland Military Department for future emergencies.” Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Brian R. Kelm simply stated, “Our motto is that we are Ready When Called. This mobilization gave us another opportunity to show that we stand behind those words.”

The Maryland Defense Force (MDDF) is the State’s uniformed volunteer military unit providing professional and technical assistance to the Maryland Military Department. Established in 1917, the MDDF consists of nearly 450 personnel who perform legal, engineering, finance, medical, chaplain, field support and ceremonial services for the State of Maryland. For more information: http://mddf.maryland.gov.

Maryland Defense Force’s 10th Medical Regiment Commander Promoted to Brigadier General

By CPT(MD) Stephen Rice
Maryland Defense Force Public Affairs
24 August 2011

On August 24, 2011 Dr. Stanley Minken who serves as the commander of the 10th Medical Regiment of the Maryland Defense Force was promoted to Brigadier General. Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Minken was also assigned as Medical Advisor to Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Brian R. Kelm who is the Commanding General of the Maryland Defense Force.

Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Minken is a Baltimore native who received a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in microbiology from George Washington University. He then received his doctor of medicine degree from the University of Maryland. After completion of a National Institutes of Health fellowship Dr. Minken was given the Upjohn Achievement Award for meritorious surgical research in 1968.

Following his medical residency Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Minken joined the United States Air Force Medical Corps, serving at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base before serving a tour in Vietnam. While in Vietnam, Dr. Minken provided medical care for the Vietnamese population at provincial hospitals. After returning to the United States Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Minken finished his U.S. Air Force service at Andrews Air Force Base. While serving in the U.S. Air Force Dr. Minken attained the rank of Major.

As a civilian physician Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Minken joined the St. Agnes Medical Center where he served as the Director of Surgical Education and Chairman of the Department of Surgery for several years. A comprehensive educational program he developed was adopted by the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the University of Maryland Medical School. He was later presented with the Distinguished Surgeons Award from the Baltimore Academy of Surgeons.

As an educator, Dr. Minken has worked as an Associate Professor in Vascular Surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and as an adjunct faculty member at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. In 2001 he was appointed the Charles G. Rob Professor of Surgery at the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University and Chief of Academic Surgery.

Currently Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Minken is the Chief Medical Officer at the Chester River Hospital Center which is an affiliate of the University of Maryland Medical System. Dr. Minken has frequently deployed overseas as a combat surgical consultant in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He most recently participated in a Pacific Command exercise involving combat blast injuries.


As commander of the 10th Medical Regiment of the Maryland Defense Force, Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Minken oversees a large contingent of medical professionals who volunteer to support the missions of the Maryland Military Department. He has also presented over 40 technical presentations and has several publications in medical texts.

Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Kelm noted at the promotion ceremony that he is “thankful to have such an accomplished and distinguished medical professional as the Medical Advisor on this new team.”

The Maryland Defense Force (MDDF) is the State’s uniformed volunteer military unit providing professional and technical assistance to the Maryland Military Department. Established in 1917, the MDDF consists of nearly 450 personnel who perform legal, engineering, finance, medical, chaplain, field support and ceremonial services for the State of Maryland. For more information: http://mddf.maryland.gov.

Maryland Defense Force Supports Veterans with Operation Stand Down

By CPT(MD) Stephen Rice
Maryland Defense Force Public Affairs
25 September 2011

On September 24, 2011 the Maryland Defense Force’s (MDDF) 10th Medical Regiment participated in Operation Stand Down which provided food, medical assistance and necessary medical referrals to VA services for over 200 homeless veterans. This event was held at the Baltimore War Memorial Plaza across from City Hall in downtown Baltimore. It was a collaborative effort spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the State of Maryland and The Way Station, Inc. Several organizations besides the MDDF provided assistance and a myriad of support services.

As the operation commenced, the homeless veterans stood in company formation alongside the Maryland Defense Force personnel for the posting of the colors. The colors were presented by a Color Guard unit from the Maryland Air National Guard (MDANG). The Maryland Army National Guard (MDARNG) was also present and provided personnel and three mobile support units to provide mental health services for the veterans in support of the operation.

The MDDF’s 10th Medical Regiment provided medical screenings, conducted health assessments and facilitated referrals for follow-up care. The 10th Medical Regiment is comprised of volunteer physicians, nurses, social workers and emergency medical professionals from across the state of Maryland. During Operation Stand Down, the MDDF provided free medical screening services for 55 homeless veterans.

The MDDF’s 10th Medical Regiment was also supported by the MDDF Operations and Training Unit as well as the MDDF Field Detachment Delta. Other organizational participants included personnel from the University of Maryland Medical Center, the U.S. Army Reserve and Army ROTC Cadets from Towson University and Loyola University Maryland. The operation also included an “army” of volunteers and veterans from every branch of the U.S. Armed Services and the local community.

Maryland Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown participated in the opening ceremony and thanked the Maryland Defense Force for supporting the veterans. Lieutenant Governor Brown said, “I want to give special thanks to the Maryland Defense Force for playing such a vital role in the success of today’s mission.” “Your commitment and dedication to our nation’s heroes is truly commendable,” he concluded.

The Maryland Defense Force (MDDF) is the State’s uniformed volunteer military unit providing professional and technical assistance to the Maryland Military Department. Established in 1917, the MDDF consists of nearly 450 personnel who perform legal, engineering, finance, medical, chaplain, field support and ceremonial services for the State of Maryland. For more information: http://mddf.maryland.gov/.

Maryland Defense Force’s Outgoing Commander Promoted to Major General

By CPT(MD) Stephen Rice
Maryland Defense Force Public Affairs
2 August 2011

On August 2, 2011 Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Courtney B. Wilson, the outgoing commander of the Maryland Defense Force was promoted to Major General in a surprise announcement from Maj. Gen. James A. Adkins, the adjutant general of Maryland. Maj. Gen. (MDDF) Wilson’s promotion occurred during the change of command ceremony that brought in Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Brian R. Kelm as the new commanding general of the Maryland Defense Force.

Maj. Gen. (MDDF) Wilson was recognized by Maj. Gen. Adkins for his distinguished military career and for his many contributions to the State of Maryland. Maj. Gen. (MDDF) Wilson’s military career began with service in the U.S. Army, doing a tour of duty in Vietnam in 1971. Assigned to an infantry reconnaissance platoon, he was heavily engaged in the border regions in and around the Da Nang Vital Area and the Quang Nam region. Maj. Gen. (MDDF) Wilson was wounded in action and returned to the United States, recovering at Letterman Hospital in San Francisco before traveling back to Maryland.

After serving in various capacities, Maj. Gen. (MDDF) Wilson served as the commanding general of the Maryland Defense Force for five years before relinquishing command. Although Maj. Gen. (MDDF) Wilson stepped down from his position as commanding general, he will continue to serve as an advisor to the adjutant general of Maryland.

The Maryland Defense Force (MDDF) is the State’s uniformed volunteer military unit providing professional and technical assistance to the Maryland Military Department. Established in 1917, the MDDF consists of nearly 450 personnel who perform legal, engineering, finance, medical, chaplain, field support and ceremonial services for the State of Maryland. For more information: http://mddf.maryland.gov.