What is the first thing that comes into your mind when Washington D.C. is mentioned? Is it
The White House?
The Lincoln Memorial?
The Smithsonian Institution, or any other museums?
The fact is, Washington D.C. is known for many things and one of those is known as MDW. It is one of the top military commands in the United States. It is the Military District of Washington.
I highly recommend that you do find the time to visit our nation’s capital and when doing so, you should enjoy some of the public affairs that the United States Military District of Washington offers. Reading this will explain: U.S. Military District of Washington Public Affairs.
In today’s post, I am going to provide you with 13 cool facts about the Military District of Washington. At the end will be references. Please let us know what you think about this post in the comments section. And, if you have any added facts, feel free to tell our readers.
1: MDW On Facebook
The Military District of Washington is on Facebook. You can find them here.
2: 1921
The Military District of Washington was established in 1921. This was when the War Department created the District of Washington. The Military District of Washington originally included:
Fort Washington, Maryland
and, Fort Hunt, Virginia
and the District of Columbia
3: MDW On Twitter
The Military District of Washington is on Twitter. You can read their tweets here.
4: Headquarters
The Military District of Washington is a United States Army representation in the Joint Force Headquarters Capital Region. Plus, the headquarters is located at Fort Lesley McNair in Washington D.C. There are also various subordinate commands which will be listed further on in this post.
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5: MDW On Flickr
The Military District of Washington is on Flickr. You can view some tremendous pictures here.
6: Primary Responsibilities
The Military District of Washington’s units have 2 primary responsibilities.
They carry the combat defense role of the Capital Region area. If you really think about this, it is a major responsibility as enemies of the United States would love to attack our nation’s capital.
They perform a variety of ceremonial duties including ceremonial operations at Arlington National Cemetery, musical ceremonies from Pershing’s Own and guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
7: MDW On Instagram
The Military District of Washington is also on Instagram. You can follow them here.
8: Subordinate Installations
There are several Garrisons that are under the Military District of Washington umbrella. At one time, Walter Reed Army Medical Center was under the District, but isn’t now. The subordinate installations are:
Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
Fort Belvoir, Virginia
Joint Base Myer – Henderson Hall, Virginia
Fort George Meade, Maryland
9: Military District of Washington Subordinate Commands
There are several subordinate commands under the Military District of Washington. They include:
The Army Aviation Brigade
The Old Guard – 3rd United States Infantry Regiment
Pershing’s Own – The United States Army Band
USATA – United States Army Test, Measurement, and Diagnostic Equipment Activity
10: Nickname and Motto
The Military District of Washington has a nickname and a motto. Their nickname is:
Guardian of the Nation’s Capital
The MDW motto is:
Haec Protegimus, which means This We Guard
11: Military District of Washington Leadership
The leaders of MDW are highly competent individuals. They are:
Commander: Major General Bradley Becker
Command Sergeant Major Timothy Guden
Deputy Commander: Rear Admiral Yancy Lindsey
Deputy Commander Egon Hawrylak
Chief of Staff: Colonel William McGarrity
Commander – Old Guard: Colonel Johnny Davis
Regimental Sergeant Major – Old Guard: Command Sergeant Major Samuel Stoker
Commander – U.S. Air Operations: Colonel Timothy Brown
Command Sergeant Major – U.S. Air Operations: Command Sergeant Major Joseph Chang
Commander – Pershing’s Own: Colonel Timothy Holtan
Command Sergeant Major – Pershing’s Own: Command Sergeant Major Daniel Smith
12: 3 Missions
The Military District of Washington has 3 primary missions. They are:
Responding to any crisis, attacks or security needs in the National Capital Region using various contingency plans.
Providing base operations and support for Army and Department of Defense installations and personnel within the National Capital Region. This includes operation of Arlington National Cemetery, CONUS rotary wing airlift and personal property shipping.
The planning and conducting of official ceremonies both in the region, and worldwide on behalf of United States civilian and military leaders.
These are the primary missions of the Military District of Washington.
13: Shows You Should See
Maybe you have visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and witnessed the amazing abilities of “The Old Guard.” Possibly, you have been to a concert put on by Pershing’s Own Army Band. If you have never witnessed either, I highly recommend you do so.
Every year, both Pershing’s Own and The Old Guard perform 2 shows together. In the spring of the year at the grounds of the Washington Monument, they perform a show called “America’s Army in Review.” In the summer, the perform “Twilight Tattoo” at the Ellipse.
It would be well worth the trip to our nation’s capital to witness at least, if not both of these amazing shows.
I am sharing a video of the full “Twilight Tattoo” extravaganza.
Final Thoughts
Well, that is the facts I have found on the Military District of Washington. If you have more facts you would like to add, just post a comment below with them. Also, if you have any questions, you can post those here too and we will do our best to provide an answer.
We would love to hear from any members of The Old Guard or Pershing’s own. Please tell us about your experiences in the Military District of Washington.
We thank you for your service to our nation. Long live the Military District of Washington, the United States Army and the United States of America.
Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
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