The U. S. Army Military District of Washington (MDW) is a direct reporting unit that provides the Army force integrated with the Joint Force Headquarters - National Capital Region (JFHQ-NCR). Both organizations share a single commander and core staff that link operationally with other service components and civilian interagency partners to support both ceremonial and contingency missions within the National Capital Region.

Civilian and military members of MDW provide a trusted professional organization always ready and prepared to work closely with a multitude of National Capital Region mission partners across a full range of assigned missions.

Together, the command has successfully planned and executed an unprecedented number of National Special Security Events (NSSE) and Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) activities. These events highlight the collaboration and trust ongoing between partners in the region and the importance of teamwork. It's this regional teamwork that clearly makes the difference and sets the conditions for success; making it possible to successfully accomplish each event.

Our mission partner's engagement is one of the top priorities of the command. Coordination among the many local, state, regional, federal, and military authorities to execute highly visible and sensitive events provides a unique opportunity to practice planning, communications, synchronization, and liaison tasks. Maintaining a robust interagency engagement program promotes civilian agency and organization participation in command sponsored training and exercises. They also contribute to the command's situational awareness of interagency roles, responsibilities, policies and practices. This insight is helpful during normal operations and it is essential in emergency situations.

The command exercises geographic senior commander responsibilities over three Army installations (Forts Belvoir and A.P. Hill in Va. and Fort George G. Meade in Md.) and one joint base (Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Va., which includes Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C.), providing services and resources to customers in support of accomplishing the mission.

One of MDW's Major Subordinate Commands is the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard); the oldest active infantry regiment in the U.S. Army, serving our nation since 1784. The Old Guard is the Army's official ceremonial unit and escort to the President of the United States. The unit is responsible for conducting memorial affairs missions in Arlington National Cemetery (ANC), Va. and official military ceremonies throughout the Washington, D.C. area.

The unit is comprised of several specialty elements to include: The U.S. Army Drill Team, The U.S. Army Caisson Platoon, Sentinels at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, The Commander-in-Chief's Guard, The Continental Color Guard, and The Presidential Salute Battery.

Today, The Old Guard continues its solemn duty of performing memorial affairs daily at ANC, to include maintaining a 24-hour vigil at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier regardless of the weather conditions. The unit is also trusted with the duty to conduct the dignified transfer of remains of our Nation's fallen heroes at Dover Air Force Base, Del.

A key mission of The Old Guard is outreach, comprised of strategic engagements and special ceremonies. Annually the unit participates in hundreds of events to include presidential wreath ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for Memorial and Veterans Day observances as well as arrivals and ceremonies for foreign dignitaries and heads of states.

During the summer months, select members of The Old Guard participate in Twilight Tattoo, an Army outreach program in the National Capital Region (NCR), held at Joint Base Myer - Henderson Hall every Wednesday from 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. (May- August) for more than 25 thousand guests and Spirit of America, the Army's largest outreach program performed at various cities across America. Spirit of America is designed to increase America's awareness of the Army's rich heritage and showcase its premier ceremonial units. These shows are free and open to the public.

The Soldiers of The Old Guard remain committed to military excellence by supporting a multitude of military and government programs and events, and remain prepared for contingency missions by maintaining trained forces year-round for operations within the NCR.

The United States Army Band "Pershing's Own," with more than 250 Soldiers assigned, is a Major Subordinate Command of the U.S. Army Military District of Washington, and resides on the historic Fort Myer portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Va. The unit was founded in 1922 by General of the Armies John J. "Black Jack" Pershing to support military funerals and ceremonies in and around Washington, D.C., and remains the Army's premier musical organization. While the bulk of the Band's missions still support memorial, ceremonial, and other official events within the NCR, "Pershing's Own" also plays a critical role in public and international diplomacy, and in Army outreach.

The U.S. Army Band's comprehensive and effective outreach programs ensure the Army story is told to millions of Americans each year through programs such as Twilight Tattoo and Spirit of America. The Band hosts numerous music workshops, young artist programs, and a variety of public concerts, recitals, summer appearances at the U.S. Capitol, and marches in local and national parades. Every performance in the Band's home concert venue, Brucker Hall, is webcast in HD and posted on the Band's YouTube channel (youtube.com/usarmyband) for later viewing, extending its reach around the world at no additional cost. Active on several social media sites, the Band boasts more Facebook followers than any other military band in the world. The Soldiers of "Pershing's Own" have a variety of educational outreach products and numerous recordings are available for free online, demonstrating the excellence of our Army to young Americans. These efforts and the more than 6,000 annual performances are why The United States Army Band "Pershing's Own" remains an effective tool for supporting Soldiers and their Families, and for connecting the Army with Americans, whenever they may be.

The U.S. Army Air Operations Group (AAOG) is the Military District of Washington's global and regional aviation provider for Army Senior Leadership and supports national level contingency plans within the NCR. The AAOG is a brigade level headquarters providing command and control and resourcing to the following subordinate units and activities: 12th Aviation Battalion (Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, Va.), the U.S. Army Priority Air Transport Battalion (USAPAT) (Joint Base Andrews, Md.), the 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company (TREC) (Fort Belvoir, Va.) and the Pentagon Heliport. AAOG aircraft provide executive transportation to the Army's highest civilian and military leadership around the world by fixed wing and in the NCR by rotorcraft.

AAOG units maintain a constant state of readiness in order to respond with little or no notice with aviation and rescue assets in support of contingencies in the Nation's Capital. The attack on the Pentagon on September 11th, 2001 was a case in point witnessing the 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company (prior to 9/11 called the MDW Engineer Company) and 12th Aviation Battalion providing immediate and sustained response to the crisis. The 911th TREC conducts major training exercises every year in order to maintain their ability to support the National Capital Region.

AAOG units directly support overseas contingency operations in Afghanistan with rotational executive jet transport for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) commanding general. USAPAT personnel have maintained a steady rate of deployments in recent years basing their operations in Kabul, Afghanistan to provide intra and inter-theater air movements for the ISAF headquarters.

The U. S. Army White House Transportation Agency continues their vital mission of providing transportation services to the President of the United States and First Family, as well as senior staff and official visitors of the White House. The agency is comprised of master driver Non-Commissioned Officers who support presidential motorcades and travel worldwide as directed by the White House Military Office.

MDW also provides support for our Army's Medical Evacuation to CONUS Hospitals (MECH). The MECH team represents our Army Leaders when sick, ill, injured, and wounded service members return to the United States at Joint Base Andrews. This small group of dedicated professionals provides continuous visibility of patient transitions from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, to designated Medical Treatment Facilities stateside. As of March 2015, they have met a total of 1,606 flights, assisted more than 49,000 service members (all branches) and distributed more than $2,000,000 in Army Emergency Relief funds.

MDW also sponsors the Army Ten-Miler, an annual certified ten-mile road race run in Washington each October. With more than 35,000 registered runners, it is one of the largest ten-mile races in the country and sets new registration records each year, selling out within hours.

No matter the mission, the military and civilian members of MDW continue to provide trusted professionals for the planning and execution of DoD contingency and civil support operations to the region, burials at Arlington National Cemetery, and for a myriad of ceremonial functions that inspire a nation. They remain the Guardians of the Nation's Capital.