Anyone know how to contact the Maryland Defense Force?

[mikeylikey]

^^ You are right, but they were all rolled into the National Guard.  I always thought that the NG should be wearing state nametapes instead of "US Army/Air Force".  Not until they get called to Active duty should they be considered Federal Assets. 

[NAYBOR]

The MDDF do hold real commissions/enlistments, from the Govornor of Maryland, just as NG troops do.  NG troops hold federal commissions/enlistments in addition to the state.  MDDF soldiers are recongized by the federal government, as SDF soldiers, authorized under USC 32 section 109.  They are REAL military, in the State of Maryland, subject to the Maryland Military Code of Justice, anytime one is on duty at all, coming or going to drill, paid or unpaid, just like the federal force.  They can also be used in other states if governors of other states ask.  I am continuing on for my PsyD.  I have looked into going back to ANG or AFR.  They are downsizing officers like CRAZY, but are extremely hurting for pilots.  My brother-in-law, who is soon to be a major in the NC ANG, keeps asking me the same thing.  The MDDF has a med unit that I can really make a difference in, continue as a REAL officer with my REAL commission, and go from there.  I plan to transfer commission after obtaining the PsyD back to the AF, or to the USPHS.

The MDDF 10MEDRGT is a medical reserve corps unit, recognized by the US Surgeon General (federally recognized, by the head of the USPHS).  While not "federalized" (it is imposible by law for the MDDF unit itself to be "federalized"), they are the only MDDF unit that I know of that went to Louisiana for Katrina to help, and have been out of the country to assist Bosnians.  This is very similar to the NG.  They presently are actively helping our great soldiers coming back from Iraq.  I'll do that, without being paid, in a HEARTBEAT.

I'm not worried about pay, benefits, etc. right now.   I'm just satisfied to really be augmenting the ANG/ARNG in Maryland, and helping the soldiers and people of Maryland.  I will remain as active as I can in CAP too.  If I am activated for state active duty, yes, I would be paid at the same rate as I would be in the federal force.  So it really doesn't matter as far as that is concerned.  I have pay and benefits at my civilian job right now that would cover me if called to active duty too.  It's "win-win" as far as I'm concerned.

[Becks]

He will be a real officer in the MDDF.  Surprised to see such a comment from you.

Whatever man, federal recognition is what makes you a soldier & that's it. Due respect to SDFs (the decent ones), but they aren't the same thing as the reserve component of the US Armed Forces.

Nope sorry, spit and moan all you want you're still wrong.  SDF's are soldiers and are military under law, and frankly that is what it comes down to. 

[DNall]

STATE commissions & STATE military law. That's NOT the same thing. I don't want to get into it much past that. We have one of the top SDFs here, and I promise you it's not remotely the same thing. Being in an SDF doesn't get you priveledges on AAFES, USAA, anything like that. That's cause the state malitia & the US Armed Forces are not the same thing. I'm not trying to insult SDFs, just point out that they are what they are. Which is not the real US military, and is much the same as CAP in meaningful status.

My point is you can come in the national guard & be a federally recognized officer, which which will count down the road. You'll get significant benefits & future retirement that you can't & won't get form the MDDF. I think you should at least examine your options.

[RiverAux]

Jeeze, every single post you're promoting the pay and benefits of being in the NG...I think its about a little bit more than monetary concerns....

[md132]

NAYBOR, 

I am with the MDDF and a member of CAP.  If there is anything I can help you with please feel free to let me know.  I am assigned to MDDF HQ.

[DNall]

I would do some checking on progression within the SDF as well. Most have rules requiring you to have been a prior-service federally recognized US military officer in order to promote above a certian point.

Jeeze, every single post you're promoting the pay and benefits of being in the NG...I think its about a little bit more than monetary concerns....

Monetary to me means pay, not as much the educational benefits & retirement that can't be easily had elsewhere. I would be offended if someone told me I or anyone in the guard was doing it for monetary benefits. I'm not there for the benefits either, but I'd hardly turn them down. If given the choice of having a much greater impact while getting benefits versus playing second fiddle as a volunteer & paying for almost everything myself, which of those seems right?

There are several national guard officers on here that can speak for their own experience. In my case, the commissioning route & flight school program I'm on is the very longest option one could choose from. My training, accounting for all pay/benefits/etc, results in a net LOSS of over $75k in lost wages from my civilian job, plus additional expenses.

2wks at Ft Sam Houston for a direct commissioning course with other medical folks is the very shortest route (shorter even than chaplains & lawyers), and would be least invasive. Then afterwards you'd be a much more highly respected officer with advanced education options that would otherwise cost tens of thousands of dollars or more, and there's a retirement at the end.

Again, I'm not saying anything against SDFs. They got something good going with the guard that most of us would like to get going in CAP on the federal side to aid the AF. You can find me repeatedly around here saying Auxiliary means federal level SDF & we need to get our act together & work w/ AF (and Congress as necessary) to make that happen in the future.

I'm just saying this particular guy is young enough & with the right qualifications that he could come in the national guard for a few years & not have it impact his life any more or less than the MDDF, but with significant & life changing things given back in return. If he then wants to come out to the MDDF, then he'll do so with a background that allows him to do a lot more there rather than be limited out & then it be too late for the guard/res officer experience they demand.

[Becks]

STATE commissions & STATE military law. That's NOT the same thing. I don't want to get into it much past that. We have one of the top SDFs here, and I promise you it's not remotely the same thing. Being in an SDF doesn't get you priveledges on AAFES, USAA, anything like that.

Again though...no one is saying they are US Armed Forces.  When it comes down to it however, if you are in a state with both CAP and a SDF at the end of the day a SDF is military on paper and CAP is not, end of story.
Military does not = Federal Armed Forces only. 

Check back in history and look at militias and how they served. 
Under your logic then the NG (Also a militia) is not "military" when they are not federalized because they are state soldiers normally.  They serve the Governor unless federalized, exactly as the SDF does.
Different military, different stuff.

[DNall]

Again though...no one is saying they are US Armed Forces.  When it comes down to it however, if you are in a state with both CAP and a SDF at the end of the day a SDF is military on paper and CAP is not, end of story.

Respectfully... That depends VERY much on your personal definition of "military," and whom in the US armed forces you ask.

My questions...
1) as a member of the MDDF, which has the purpose of supporting the NG, and while they are suffering an extreme & critical shortage of officers, why on earth would you encourage anyone to come into your second line support org rather than be straight with them about takinging a tour with a guard unit.

2) If a person wanted to serve their state in a military capacity & make the most impact, why would they go to the SDF rather than the guard? They would get basically the same position, be required basically the same training, but the SDF unit will be severely limited compared to guard troops. Then if this person wants to progress in the SDF they may not be able to because they've not served as a federal military officer like they would be in the guard.

3) Then you just sell the benefits out like they're nothing. Hay man, in civilian life through some very hard work & good luck, I've ended up doing pretty good for myself, but doing roughly the same thing in the same uniform for the same people & I have the choice of getting paid/benefits or not, I think paid is probably the way to go. It may only offset what I have to put in myself, but that's more than I can say for CAP or an SDF.

4) Is there something wrong with advising a person to examine the guard option, asking them to compare & contrast the two things, then make a sound decision? Is there some reason that advising them to skip that examination & go straight to the SDF is better advice?

[RiverAux]

Everyone who knows about an SDF probably already knows 10x as much about the NG as they do about the SDF.  There is no need to sell the NG to them, in fact I would bet that many of the folks who join an SDF who are young enough to join the NG are probably joining the SDF because of some disqualifying factor that kept them out of the NG in the first place. 

[Becks]

Again though...no one is saying they are US Armed Forces.  When it comes down to it however, if you are in a state with both CAP and a SDF at the end of the day a SDF is military on paper and CAP is not, end of story.

Respectfully... That depends VERY much on your personal definition of "military," and whom in the US armed forces you ask.

My questions...
1) as a member of the MDDF, which has the purpose of supporting the NG, and while they are suffering an extreme & critical shortage of officers, why on earth would you encourage anyone to come into your second line support org rather than be straight with them about takinging a tour with a guard unit.

2) If a person wanted to serve their state in a military capacity & make the most impact, why would they go to the SDF rather than the guard? They would get basically the same position, be required basically the same training, but the SDF unit will be severely limited compared to guard troops. Then if this person wants to progress in the SDF they may not be able to because they've not served as a federal military officer like they would be in the guard.

3) Then you just sell the benefits out like they're nothing. Hay man, in civilian life through some very hard work & good luck, I've ended up doing pretty good for myself, but doing roughly the same thing in the same uniform for the same people & I have the choice of getting paid/benefits or not, I think paid is probably the way to go. It may only offset what I have to put in myself, but that's more than I can say for CAP or an SDF.

4) Is there something wrong with advising a person to examine the guard option, asking them to compare & contrast the two things, then make a sound decision? Is there some reason that advising them to skip that examination & go straight to the SDF is better advice?

1&2:
I assume a lot of it has to deal with they may either disqualify for the NG, have other commitments,or believe it or not, not everyone wants an 18 month deployment to the sandbox.
3. Yes benefits are nice, but don't mean everything to everyone.  Look at CAP, its not military, but it is dedication of time with little to no benefits.  Some people simply serve to serve in their own way, not serving because of what is in it for them.
4. And no there is nothing wrong with telling them about the NG but like River said, most SDF troops already know about the NG and in the SDF and not the NG for their own reasons, not out of ignorance about the NG.

[DNall]

1&2:
I assume a lot of it has to deal with they may either disqualify for the NG, have other commitments,or believe it or not, not everyone wants an 18 month deployment to the sandbox.

I understand all that, that's all valid. Depending on the job they come in under it may well be something that never gets deployed, but that's up to them. Again, valid reasons, but not things that should be assumed about a person. If they appear qualified for the guard, then they should be encouraged to look there first. That should be the standing policy your SDF recrtuiters are following as well.

3. Yes benefits are nice, but don't mean everything to everyone.  Look at CAP, its not military, but it is dedication of time with little to no benefits.  Some people simply serve to serve in their own way, not serving because of what is in it for them.

Understood, and my benefits don't help me much, but it deserves serious consideration. In the case of medical fields, including mgmt, the benefits for things like graduate education are massive. The things you can do to serve are also massively bigger than with the SDF.

4. And no there is nothing wrong with telling them about the NG but like River said, most SDF troops already know about the NG and in the SDF and not the NG for their own reasons, not out of ignorance about the NG.

Again, I understand that. However, I think a lot of people, especially in this situation, don't understand they could get a direct commision in a couple weeks like a nurse would rather than several months of OCS. The first thing an SDF should do on hearing from someone that appears qualified is to put them in front of a guard recruiter & encourage them to go that way. IF & WHEN they decide for their own reasons that the SDF is for them & the guard isn't , then that's completely fine, but the SDF shouldn't be openly sold to them as an alternative or competitor. If the SDF is seen by the guard in that light then it will cease to exist right away.

The guard needs officers real bad. We're short 10,550 company grade officers, and most of that is NOT in combat arms. Most of it is in fields like medical support & administration or other related fields. The reserves were so bad last year they were direct commissioning people w/ no prior serive & sending them to flight school or any other branch they wanted. It's nuts. The enlisted side is okay with all the bonus money they're throwing around, but they are desperate for officers in all fields, and if you;re qualified & want to help your state, I would strongly suggest you give that a good hard look before proceeding to other options.

[RiverAux]

The first thing an SDF should do on hearing from someone that appears qualified is to put them in front of a guard recruiter & encourage them to go that way. IF & WHEN they decide for their own reasons that the SDF is for them & the guard isn't , then that's completely fine, but the SDF shouldn't be openly sold to them as an alternative or competitor.

So are you advising your cadets to join the AF upon their 18th birthday?  Sending all potential CAP recruits under 40 to the AF recruiter? 

[Becks]

If they appear qualified for the guard, then they should be encouraged to look there first. That should be the standing policy your SDF recrtuiters are following as well.

This is in fact exactly what we do in SCSG.  Most of our recruiting drives our tables are right next to our NG counterparts, and in fact one of our recruiters is both SDF and NG.  We make sure there are no confusions about what people are joining.

[NAYBOR]

DNall, is that short fall of officers in the ARNG, or ANG?  I was told the ANG was BLEEDING officers to get rid of them.  Heck, if the ARNG will take me in the medical services corps, I'd go, but I don't think they will.  I have an MS in Psych, no license (only state certs).  I understand one has to have an MSW with license, or PhD/PsyD with license to be a clinician.  If there is some way that I can directly commission as a mental health professional in the ARNG with an MS in Psych [no license] great!  I have been told, at least by the ANG, that I cannot.

I have been told that I CAN be an MDDF soldier as a mental health professional, which is what I really want to do.  It will give me a chance to also see what the "Army side" may be like.  I can finish my doctorate without the fear of having to be deployed to the sandbox.  It will also help me to shed the pounds I need to since being a nice, svelt AFROTC cadet (nothing a month of two of eating right and excercising can't handle).  Does the military still have a maximum of how many kids you can have before NOT being considered to directly commission?  It used to be two max.

MD132, hello!  I look forward to hopefully working with you.  Right now Col. Nelson is looking into whether I need a waiver, since I live out-of state, but sounds positve and encouraging.  We'll see what happens...

[DNall]

The ANG is NOT bleeding, active duty is. However, ANG is part of the total AF concept, so ANG has to meet the same standards as active. That's MUCH higher standards. The ARNG is desperate like nobody's business. I know a guy with an associates in general studies & two-years as a drug sales rep that they wanted to direct commission as a medical admin officer. You want in as a mental health medical officer though, I csdon't knwo the answer to that. I can't speak for the flexibility of the standards or how desperate Md is in that area. If it were my state then I could give you an answer, but the best I can do is direct you to the AMEDD or officer strength mgr. You can talk to any recruiter, but I'd recommend their boss's boss's boss the Bn CC for straight answers. Just ask & find out is all I'm saying, and be a little flexible.

It might be that they commision you a 2Lt to med admin then pay you $1280/mo per diem plus 350 drill pay whil;e in non-deployable status to do nothing but get your doctorate, and then you can switch to the mental health job.... that's worse case though as far as I can tell. You need to explore your options with people qualified to answer your questions. I'm only qualified to tell you to ask!!!

Far as kids on a commission, yes, but EVERYTHING is in flux since 9/11 and EVERYTHING is waiverable now. Just spend a couple hours on the net figureing out the questions you want tot ask & then give a recruiter a couple days to answer them after meeting with you, then make a sound decision, that's all I'm asking.

[md132]

NAYBOR,

I'm sure that won't be a problem.  COL (MD) Nelson is great.  He takes cares of his people.  I look forward to meet you as well.  I appologize for not getting to you sooner though.   COL (MD) Nelson will definately get back to you is he's able to get you a waiver.  Feel free to PM if you have any questions about MDDF.

[ColonelJack]

The guard needs officers real bad. We're short 10,550 company grade officers, and most of that is NOT in combat arms. Most of it is in fields like medical support & administration or other related fields. The reserves were so bad last year they were direct commissioning people w/ no prior serive & sending them to flight school or any other branch they wanted. It's nuts. The enlisted side is okay with all the bonus money they're throwing around, but they are desperate for officers in all fields, and if you;re qualified & want to help your state, I would strongly suggest you give that a good hard look before proceeding to other options.

Hm.  Qualified?  Sounds like "if you're breathing and have a college degree, you're qualified."     Seriously, I'd love to serve in the Guard, but I'm too old (48) and, while I would exceed the education requirements (I have all but a dissertation and some class work on my doctorate), I don't think I meet the physical requirements.  But it would still be nice if I were somehow eligible.

Jack

[DNall]

Hm.  Qualified?  Sounds like "if you're breathing and have a college degree, you're qualified."    

That's not said out loud, but I've known people to pass physicals with a broken leg & the board selection rate is nearly 100%.

The cutoff is 42, MINUS any years of federal military service, and you have to be able to serve a total of 20 years (counting previous service) before you turn 60. You don't have to servet hat long obviously, they just can't commission you without giving you the chance to get a retirement. If you can get yourself physically qualified though & don't have any felonies or outstanding warrants then you'll be fine. Need 60hrs to start OCS, 90 to commission, degree by Capt.

[NAYBOR]

.