An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Nov. 7, 2019

169th Cyber Protection Team is capable and ready

By Senior Airman Sarah McClanahan Maryland National Guard

BALTIMORE, Md. – Just a few miles beyond the bustling cyber hub surrounding Fort Meade, Maryland, is the Laurel Readiness Center, home to the Maryland National Guard’s 169th Cyber Protection Team – the only full-time, fully operational cyber protection team in the Army National Guard.

These cyber professionals defend Defense Department information networks and assist in cyber defense outside the DOD.

Tracing their origins back to 2013, the 169th CPT has grown from a few cyber professionals to a full-time National Guard cyber protection team activated as a unit in 2017.

“[The CPT] was a notional idea during that time,” said Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Carlos Salas, 169th CPT cyber planner. “We were a team of people put together on temporary orders. They called us a CPT, but we didn’t have funding or anything. We just belonged to the National Guard Bureau. That was it.”

With a trained team of 38 members in an Active Guard Reserve full-time paid status, the 169th CPT can provide incident response, vulnerability assessments, network and host-based analysis, threat emulation, and more. With a recall time of only four hours, the 169th CPT can respond and assist quickly and effectively.

“Our capabilities are to deploy at a moment’s notice to conduct a [cyber threat] hunt, clear, and defend mission or to do a cyber readiness inspection,” explains Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Keith Roberson, 169th CPT deputy discovery encounter infiltration lead. “A couple of our cyber support and readiness squads are already providing support to the [G6-signal operations] and their mission.”

When they are not assisting on missions, the members of the 169th CPT are seeking ways to further their education and credentialing. They have 134 industry certifications.

While the 169th CPT is a highly capable cyber element with extensive credentials, a major obstacle in performing those capabilities is being authorized to use them.

“We have a lot of capabilities with a team of people who have been doing this for 20-plus years,” explains Salas. “We have that level of experience. We want to use it and be the ones called up when needed.”

In the meantime, the 169th CPT maintains mission readiness. It has participated in national cyber exercises such as Cyber Shield, Cyber Flag, Cyber Yankee and others.

“Sending members to national exercises provides the opportunity for them to hone their craft,” explains Roberson. “It gives people who don’t have as much experience doing the job the chance to get a bit more hands-on.”

National exercises and continuous education allow the 169th CPT to provide fully qualified Soldiers for missions in support of the Maryland National Guard, DoD, and beyond.

“We are all very dedicated in what we do,” said Salas. “We are all itching to get out there and prove ourselves and show what we can do.”

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Stepfanie Glidewell, 142nd Maintenance Operations Flight unit deployment manager, rests on a bench press at Portland Air National Guard Base, Ore., Sept. 6, 2025. Glidewell is training to compete in the U.S. Military Powerlifting Nationals after recovering from major surgery in October 2024 that removed multiple tumors from her sciatic nerve.
Oregon Guard Member Rises Toward Powerlifting Nationals
By Tech. Sgt. Alexander Frank, | Sept. 26, 2025
PORTLAND, Ore. — In October 2024, U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Stepfanie Glidewell was preparing for surgery. For years, Glidewell had struggled with a debilitating pain that made even walking a challenge. While the cause had...

At the invitation of Qatar Emiri Land Force Commander Maj. Gen. Jassim Al Attiya, West Virginia National Guard Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. James “Jim” Seward visits QELF headquarters in Doha, Qatar, Sept. 17, 2025. The visit was part of a series of key leader engagements aimed at strengthening the bilateral relationship established through the National Guard State Partnership Program in 2018.
West Virginia Guard, Qatar Military Leaders Elevate Partnership
By Staff Sgt. Zoe Morris, | Sept. 26, 2025
DOHA, Qatar - West Virginia National Guard Adjutant General James “Jim” Seward traveled to Doha, Qatar, this week to meet with Qatar Armed Forces counterparts as part of a series of key leader engagements designed to...

Medical personnel from the Albanian Armed Forces meet with U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Lisa J. Hou, D.O., director of the National Guard Bureau Office of the Joint Surgeon General, during the Rush International Advanced Trauma Training Course and Medical Exchange Event in Chicago, Sept. 12, 2025. The course, hosted by Rush University Medical Center in Chicago from September 3 to 12, 2025, was designed to provide medical response personnel with state-of-the-art knowledge and hands-on skills required to deliver advanced acute management for trauma patients in combat environments and domestic incidents. The Albanian Armed Forces and New Jersey National Guard have been paired within the State Partnership Program for nearly 25 years. (Courtesy photo)
New Jersey Guard, Albanian Military Boost Medics’ Combat Readiness
By Lt. Col. Agneta Murnan, | Sept. 25, 2025
CHICAGO - Medical personnel from the New Jersey Army National Guard and the Albanian Armed Forces traveled to Chicago for an advanced trauma training course offered by Rush University Medical Center Sept. 3-12.The Rush...