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 | Jan. 2, 2020

Maryland Guard reveals new brand, demonstrates capabilities

By Maj. Kurt Rauschenberg Maryland National Guard

BALTIMORE – As a new decade begins, so comes a new symbol depicting the Maryland National Guard's future focus in a competitive global environment.

The MDNG, consisting of almost 6,000 Army and Air National Guard members, supports the state of Maryland's domestic homeland capabilities and U.S. Army and Air Force operations around the globe.

"The MDNG's new logo demonstrates our strengths in the midst of a rapidly changing world," said Maj. Gen. Timothy E. Gowen, adjutant general for Maryland. "We will be more lethal, we will build more relationships, and we will do it together with our domestic and international partners."

The logo depicts some of the MDNG's most essential Army and Air aviation assets, a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter and A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft, capable of delivering immense lethality in combat or enabling relief efforts during disaster situations.

The green background represents the U.S. Army fighting force with the blue soldering lines, often found on circuit boards, to represent the U.S. Air Force's cyber and intelligence capabilities.

The center features colors of the Maryland flag embedded into the state's shape with a "Minuteman" standing overwatch to symbolize the "Always Ready, Always There"presence of the MDNG. The MDNG traces its roots to March 25, 1634, when two militia captains were among over 150 colonists who disembarked in the new world to form a European settlement in what would become Maryland.

The purple background in the outer rim represents the joint force uniting MDNG Army and Air Force services. The two stars represent the general officer command for which the MDNG is led. "Old Line" is the motto of the MDNG, derived from when the Maryland Militia repeatedly charged British soldiers with fixed bayonets at the Battle of Brooklyn during the Revolutionary War. These Marylanders held the line that protected Gen. George Washington's retreat, thus ensuring that the American Army could continue to fight and win America's fight for independence. Maryland is the "Old Line State."

Today’s MDNG plays a critical role in the 2018 National Defense Strategy.

The Defense Department's NDS outlines three primary lines of efforts for which decisive and sustained military advantages for the U.S. are generated; increasing lethality, strengthening alliances and attracting new partners, and reform.

The MDNG's mission is to protect and assist the citizens of Maryland at a moment's notice while we fight and win our nation's wars on the ground, in the air, and in the intelligence, information and cyber domains.

"We have the means of supporting today's missions with our vital capabilities," Gowen said. "We are demonstrating our lethal capabilities from the air, on the battlefield and within the cyber domain."

Gowen said the partnerships between the MDNG and the Estonian Defence Forces and the Armed Forces of Bosnia-Herzegovina are the strongest they've been since the State Partnership Program began more than 26 years ago.

"The invaluable partnerships we have with Estonia and BiH contribute deeply to the ongoing combined operations in specific U.S. European Command regions," said Gowen. "Our individual members build relationships with our partner nations and learn from one another before going out and getting the job done."

In the past, MDNG units have deployed to combat areas with the EDF or AFBiH as a collective unit.

Last year, hundreds of MDNG members, about 200 Soldiers and 450 Airmen deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Syria and other areas around the world.

About 40 members of the 175th Cyberspace Operations Group were called to federal service to support offensive cyber capabilities at Ft. Meade, Maryland. Two teams of about five soldiers each from the 110th Information Operations Battalion deployed to the Horn of Africa. Hundreds of MDNG members participated in major exercises and training events in Estonia and BiH through the SPP.

In addition to the federal missions, the MDNG supported Hurricane Dorian relief efforts by sending two UH-60s with the Maryland Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team to North Carolina.

In fiscal 2020, the MDNG is expected to deploy about one-third of its forces for various operations around the world.

"We will execute our state and federal missions with overwhelming effectiveness," Gowen assured. "We'll do this by sustaining an organization that values competence, strong leadership, and teamwork while providing its members personal growth and a higher sense of purpose."

In addition to the MDNG, Gowen also oversees the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, 140 state employees who specialize in emergency management, and the Maryland Defense Force, consisting of about 150 volunteer uniformed personnel with professional and technical skills that augment the MDNG's state mission.

The transition to the new MDNG logo and templates will be incorporated into all internal and external MDNG products.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Air Force Chief Warrant Officer 2 Robert Peck, officer of information technology with 242nd Combat Communications Squadron, Washington Air National Guard, operates a small unmanned aircraft system during Exercise Phoenix Dawn 2025 at Saylor Creek Range near Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, May 6, 2025. The 194th Wing's inaugural class of Warrant Officers are paving the way by re-establishing the role in the Air Force and setting standards for future generations.
Washington Air Guard’s Warrant Officers Pave Way
By Airman 1st Class Jordaan Kvale, | May 29, 2025
CAMP MURRAY, Washington – The 194th Wing’s warrant officers are not only breaking new ground — they’re laying the foundation for generations to come.For the first time in more than 65 years, the Air Force reintroduced warrant...

Airmen with the Washington Air National Guard and the Royal Thai Air Force work alongside their RTAF counterparts in small groups to finalize their respective training objectives at the Enduring Partners 2025 final planning conference in Spokane, Wash., May 20, 2025. The working groups focused on areas such as air operations, ground-controlled interception, Air Force Special Warfare, cyber, combat communication, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief medical logistics, intel, and space.
Royal Thai Air Force, Washington Guard Finalize Plans for Enduring Partners 2025
By Staff Sgt. Adeline Witherspoon, | May 29, 2025
SPOKANE, Wash. – Airmen with the Washington Air National Guard and the Royal Thai Air Force assembled in western Washington May 19-24 to finalize plans for Enduring Partners 2025, an exercise involving RTAF and the Washington...

Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, adjutant general of Louisiana, discusses briefing details with Col. Augusto Villalaz, director of the Joint Staff for the Louisiana National Guard, during the annual Hurricane Rehearsal of Concept (ROC) Drill at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, May 21, 2025. The drill helps synchronize plans and strengthen coordination across LANG’s senior leadership ahead of hurricane season.
Louisiana Guard Rehearses Emergency Plans for Hurricane Season
By Capt. Peter Drasutis, | May 28, 2025
NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana National Guard conducted its annual Hurricane Rehearsal of Concept (ROC) Drill at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Baton Rouge May 21, uniting key personnel across multiple commands to refine...