Photo By Spc. La Marr Patterson | Two hundred and fifty Soldiers and Airmen were sworn into the Maryland National Guard...... read more read more
BALTIMORE — Two hundred and fifty Soldiers and Airmen were sworn into the Maryland National Guard by Gov. Wes Moore and Maj. Gen. Janeen L. Birckhead, adjutant general of Maryland, during a historic ceremony celebrating America's 250th birthday at the Fifth Regiment Armory, July 17, 2026.
The ceremony brought together new Guard members taking the oath of enlistment for the first time, current service members reenlisting, and officers accepting new commissions.
“Today, we welcome these Soldiers and Airmen to the long tradition of service that has defined our country with the same oath I took when I joined the Army,” said Gov. Moore. “As a veteran, I am grateful for their commitment to a cause greater than themselves. Our state and our county are stronger now because of each and every one of them, because service will save us.”
Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller and Command Sgt. Maj. Larry LeCates, senior enlisted leader of the Maryland National Guard, were also part of the official party.
The event recognized both the nation's semiquincentennial and the Maryland National Guard's enduring legacy of military service through overseas deployments, domestic emergency response and state missions.
"Protecting our sovereignty is one of the greatest responsibilities anyone can undertake," Birckhead said. "Your commitment to serving our state and nation reflects a tradition of duty, courage and sacrifice that has been part of Maryland's DNA for generations."
Bosnia and Herzegovina's ambassador to the United States, Sven Alkalaj, Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina Lt. Gen. Gojko Knežević, chief of defense, and a delegation from the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina joined distinguished guests, families, friends and service members to celebrate the Guard members who raised their right hands.
"You really get the sense that you're part of something that's been around for a very long time and that's much greater than you," said Maryland Army National Guard recruit Alex Paskal. "The strength of the ideals that our country was founded on to make it to 250 years is so strong that it is fundamental to who we are. It proves those ideals are legitimate, and they're worth fighting for."
Guests toured the Maryland Museum of Military History and viewed military equipment displays outside the armory, including a Stryker armored vehicle, a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, a demonstration by the 32nd Civil Support Team, and technology exhibits from the Maryland Air National Guard's 175th Civil Engineer Squadron featuring a lidar scanner and an exoskeleton.
Jayla Elise performed "The Heart of Maryland," the official song of the Maryland Two Fifty Commission, while Nashville recording artist Jimmy Charles opened the ceremony with "It's a Maryland Thing, You Wouldn't Understand."
Maryland's militia tradition dates to the colony's founding in 1634, predating the establishment of the United States. Since then, Maryland Guard members have served in every major conflict in American history, including the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War and the Global War on Terrorism.
"You are part of an exceptional corps of men and women who have chosen service above self," said Birckhead. "You now carry forward a proud Maryland tradition of defending our nation and preserving our freedom."
| Date Taken: | 07.17.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.17.2026 18:00 |
| Story ID: | 570233 |
| Location: | BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 55 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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