Maryland Defense Force Appoints Senior Enlisted Advisor

11 March 2010
Headquarters, Maryland Defense Force
Pikesville, MD

BALTIMORE -- The Commanding General of the Maryland Defense Force (MDDF) has appointed Sgt. Maj. (MD) Ronald “Buddy” Scott as the command’s Senior Enlisted Advisor (SEA). Scott was most recently First Sergeant of MDDF’s Engineer Corps and was promoted to Sergeant Major by Governor Martin O’Malley at MDDF’s annual muster on March 27, 2010.

"I knew that one of the results of the formation of the MDDF Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Council during the 2009 ‘Year of the NCO’ would be the emergence of a leader,” said Brig. Gen. (MD) Courtney Wilson, MDDF Commanding General. “The NCO Council nominated Sgt. Maj. Scott to represent them as Senior Enlisted Advisor. He has proven himself to be a highly skilled and universally respected NCO."

“This is a very important milestone,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Brian Sann, Command Sergeant Major and Senior Enlisted Advisor for the Maryland Military Department. “Reestablishing the position of Senior Enlisted Advisor reflects the value, professionalism and contributions of the MDDF noncommissioned officers corps. MDDF’s NCO’s have become an indispensible part of this department.”

“It is a huge honor to be picked for this job,” said Scott. “I joined the MDDF after 9-11 because I wanted to give back to my state and community. I never dreamed I would rise to this level.”

As the Senior Enlisted Advisor, Scott serves as an advocate for enlisted members and is the principle advisor to the Commanding General on matters pertaining to enlisted members. “My responsibilities are to work in and bridge two worlds,” said Scott. “One is as a member of the senior staff dealing with policy and carrying out the Commanding General’s intent. The other is to have my boots on the ground, to know and interact with the troops.”

Scott says his biggest goal is to make sure everyone is adequately and appropriately trained. “Not just skill training, but knowing and setting the standards that instill professional military bearing and build esprit de-corps so that every member of the MDDF can look back on their military career and be proud to have served in the Maryland Defense Force.”

Opening up effective lines of communication is another important goal. “I cannot do this job in a vacuum. I need to hear from the troops,” Scott explained. “What is going right? What is going wrong? How can we improve?”

Although Scott knew he had been selected for promotion, he was unaware that the Governor would “pin on” his new stripes. “I honestly had no clue,” he added. “For the Governor, our state commander in chief, to attend our muster speaks volumes to his support of the MDDF. It was an honor to be promoted by him.”

Scott has served in the MDDF since January, 2002 and has held a series of assignments of increasing responsibility in logistics and operations. He has participated in a number of major operations to include the deployment of the MDDF to Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Scott’s awards include the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Maryland Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Maryland State Service Medal, the Maryland Militia Medal with Bronze Star for Merit, and the Military Emergency Management Specialist Senior Badge. A resident of Fort Washington, Md., Scott is employed by the General Services Administration.