The article “Maryland Defense Force 10th Medical Regiment: Past, Present and Future” by Colonel (MD) Martin Hershkowitz and Colonel (MD) H. Wayne Nelson, Ph.D. chronicles the transformation of the Maryland Defense Force’s medical unit from a small aid-station team into one of the most capable and diversified medical commands in any State Defense Force. It begins by outlining the early years of limited medical activity and how successive Commanding Generals—Brigadier Generals Barranco, Lucas, and Smalkin—restructured and expanded the organization into the 10th Medical Regiment, now operating under Colonel (MD) Robert Barish. The article details the unit’s humanitarian missions, including its deployment to Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina, medical outreach in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and service to the Sioux Nation at the Rosebud Reservation. It also describes the regiment’s growing integration with the Maryland National Guard, supporting initiatives like Operation Vigilant Guard, Post-Deployment Health Reassessments (PDHRA), Periodic Health Assessments (PHA), and the Soldier Readiness Program (SRP). Additionally, it highlights the regiment’s recognition as a U.S. Surgeon General-authorized Military Medical Reserve Corps, its leadership in disaster preparedness exercises, and new training and recruitment programs driven by Governor Martin O’Malley’s directive to expand the MDDF. The article concludes by emphasizing future plans for specialized units, increased interagency collaboration, and the 10th Medical Regiment’s continuing evolution as a vital component of Maryland’s homeland defense and emergency medical response framework.
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