The article “Maryland Defense Force Joins National Guard for Major Homeland Security/Terrorist Response Exercise” by Lieutenant Colonel (MD) Robert Hastings and Major Kristine Henry, MDARNG, recounts the Maryland Defense Force’s (MDDF) active participation in Exercise Vigilant Guard, a large-scale homeland security and counterterrorism response exercise held across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. in September 2007. The exercise simulated multiple terrorist incidents—including bridge collapses, train bombings, and hazardous material threats—testing coordination between the Maryland National Guard (MDNG), state agencies, and first responders. MDDF personnel from the 10th Medical Regiment, along with legal, communications, operations, and public affairs units, trained alongside their National Guard counterparts to plan medical deployments, manage communications systems, and support the Joint Task Force command structure. The exercise validated the MDDF’s mission-oriented structure, demonstrating its ability to integrate seamlessly into National Guard operations and provide surge medical, logistical, and legal support during crises. The article concludes by emphasizing the professionalism and readiness of Maryland’s state military forces, noting that Vigilant Guard underscored their essential role in homeland defense and emergency preparedness within the National Capital Region.
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