Sunday, July 20, 2014

MDDF Hosts 2014 Annual NCO Induction Ceremony

By 2LT (MDDF) Alessia Timothy
Maryland Defense Force Public Affairs
20 July 2014

Maryland Defense Force (MDDF), continuing a 200-year tradition, hosted a noncommissioned officers’ (NCO) induction ceremony in Pikesville, Maryland on July 19 for nine new sergeants. The ceremony is meant to mark the newly promoted sergeants' departure from the junior ranks, symbolizing the need for them to remember they are no longer just followers of orders but leaders, with all of the responsibilities and accountability that come with the job. The MDDF ceremony was held at the NCO Club at the Pikesville Military Reservation (PMR). Senior NCOs from across the State of Maryland, and MDDF families and friends watched their state soldiers being welcomed into the ranks of the NCO corps.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Sgt. Maj. (MDDF) Loren Finch, who was the master of ceremonies during this event provided an historical background of the ceremony’s tradition that is traced to the Prussian Army of Frederick the Great. He went on to read a deeply moving “Poem to a fallen soldier,” and then shared some insight into what it means to be a noncommissioned officer. One by one, the state soldiers and senior NCOs stood up from their seats for a “soldier’s request and NCO response” part of the ceremony.

Afterward, three candles were lit. The red candle represented valor and hardiness. The white candle represented honesty and integrity and the blue candle signified vigilance and the field of honor in which an NCO serves. 1st Sgt. Matthew Shertzer, the narrator for the candle lighting ceremony, as he lit the red candle that stands for valor and hardiness, highlighted MDDF’s motto, “Ready When Called.”

The guest speaker, Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Beyard, the command sergeant major of the Maryland Army National Guard’s 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, congratulated the new NCOs on their success, and shared some lessons from his career. The ceremony ended with the reading of the "Charge of the Non-Commissioned Officer" and the "Creed of the Non-Commissioned Officer" as well as some parting words of wisdom from senior NCOs.

Closing remarks were made by Col. (MDDF) James Coleman, the Chief of Staff for the MDDF. He emphasized that the ceremony “allows us to instill in a state soldier the significance of being an NCO and also gives them their first experience of the pride and respect that goes along with being a member of the NCO corps.” Col. (MDDF) Coleman then addressed the senior NCOs and charged them with helping the newest members of their ranks to grow their leadership skills.

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.

Monday, July 14, 2014

MDDF 10th Medical Regiment Completes Medical Initial Entry Training Program

By 2LT (MDDF) Alessia Timothy
Maryland Defense Force Public Affairs
14 July 2014

On 13 July 2014, members of the 10th Medical Regiment from the Maryland Defense Force (MDDF) completed the sixth installment of the Initial Entry Training (IET) program at the historic Pikesville Military Reservation (PMR) in Pikesville, Maryland. This session was a specially designed edition tailored for health professionals and medical personnel in the Defense Force. Although generally geared towards health professionals, personnel from other units were invited to attend. Eight out of twenty graduates were non-medical personnel. The training curriculum covered various modules including MDDF history, medical unit leadership development, legal briefs, disaster preparedness, emergency management, drill and ceremony formations and military customs and courtesies.

On the first day of training, Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Brian R. Kelm, the Commanding General of the MDDF, while briefing trainees during a leadership development course, noted the importance that “servant leadership is the strongest level of leadership,” they could provide as future leaders. Later in the course, during the leadership communication exercise all of the students were able to successfully complete their assigned missions using noted key aspects of servant leadership. Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Stanley Minken, the commanding officer of the 10th Medical Regiment who also attended the training highlighted the teams’ successful results and expressed his “pride and gratitude,” to his fellow servicemen and women.

As a mandatory part of IET program, drill and ceremony (D&C) training was completed in a hot, sweaty, muggy, 90 plus degree weather environment without any incidents. In fact during the D&C formations, Capt. (MDDF) Salvatore Simonetta, the IET superintendent, praised his squads readiness and sharp marching skills. He also proudly noted that this was the, “first squad in a long time to complete all of the commands on the first try.”

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.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Captain James Howard Completes Ph.D. and Provides Talent to the Maryland Defense Force

By 2LT (MDDF) Anthony Granado
Maryland Defense Force Public Affairs
10 July 2014

The Maryland Defense Force (MDDF) supports the Maryland Army National Guard, the Maryland Air National Guard, and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, with a dedicated and professional body of men and women who volunteer their time and talent for the good of Maryland and its citizens.

One of these talented individuals is Capt. (MDDF) James Howard, Chief of Information Management Branch (MDDF, D6). Capt. (MDDF) Howard works to provide information resources to the MDDF and other related agencies and has been an invaluable part of the MDDF since November, 2006.

This past May, Captain Howard finished his dissertation in completion of his Ph.D. in public policy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where his research focused on the economic and social impacts of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program. In his research, Capt. (MDDF) Howard explored how the benefits of flood insurance are distributed regionally, how the government benefits from the program, and how the program provides a framework for analyzing other disaster management regimes. With this information, Capt. (MDDF) Howard believes the government can better provide and price flood insurance to homeowners.

Capt. (MDDF) Howard brings a background as a statistical expert providing high level economic, policy and data consulting to Federal agencies and other clients. Currently, he is employed as an applied analytics scientist and machine learning engineer at Eagle Ray, Inc. and has previously served the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as an internal consultant on statistical computing. Capt. (MDDF) Howard is also a passionate educator, teaching at the University of Maryland University College and the University of Baltimore.

The motto of the MDDF is Officio Vocante Parati – “Ready When Called.” Capt. (MDDF) Howard exemplifies the talent and professionalism of the men and women of the MDDF who are always ready and able when called to serve the people of the State 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: www.mddf.maryland.gov.