Archive image: Maryland Army National Guardsmen of the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade lift a rescue basket into a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter to onload a Cecil County Sheriff’s K-9 Team officer and their K-9 at Lauderick Creek Military Reservation, Edgewood, Maryland, July 30, 2025.
The engagement allowed police units to provide K-9 familiarization to the Maryland Army National Guardsmen and exchange best practices.
U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Airman 1st Class Sarah Hoover.
Story by Senior Airman Sarah Hoover, Maryland National Guard
EDGEWOOD, Md. — Maryland Army National Guard soldiers conducted MEDEVAC (medical evacuation) training with two UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters assigned to the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, collaborating with local police K-9 units at Lauderick Creek Military Reservation, April 1, 2026.
The event involved a total of 30 participants, including National Guard members from Company C, 1st Battalion, 169th Aviation Regiment, alongside officers from Cecil County Sheriff’s Office and Montgomery County Police, and a total of eight police dogs. The primary goal for this collaboration was to integrate civilian law enforcement K-9 units into a MEDEVAC exercise and enhance interagency operational effectiveness through shared learning scenarios.
“While I was deployed to Kosovo in 2021, there was a K-9 unit there, and I had been tasked with creating a K-9 medical bag. I remember feeling that the training I had up to that point was inadequate for what I would need if there was an actual emergency involving a K-9,” said Maryland Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Joanna Adams, flight medic non-commissioned officer assigned to Company C, 1-169th Aviation Regiment. “After I came back from deployment, I started looking into getting training for my unit with K-9s.”
Two scenarios took place simultaneously, involving a variety of simulated situations for Guard members, the police dogs, and their handlers.
Maryland Army National Guardsmen assign to the 29th Aviation Brigade, administers medical care, alongside Cecil County Sheriff’s Office K-9s and their handlers, during a simulated medevac event on a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter above Lauderick Creek Military Reservation, Edgewood, Maryland, April 1, 2026.
U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Senior Airman Sarah Hoover.
One scenario focused on K-9 familiarization with the helicopter operations, which focused on the acoustic and environmental impacts of the aircraft. Guardsmen practiced hoist operations with Montgomery County officers utilizing a rescue basket, as well as a plastic stretcher, often used for non-ambulatory or severely injured patients. Ground crewmembers were responsible for managing a tagline to prevent the stretcher from spinning during hoist operations.
The second scenario introduced complex medical and tactical challenges involving the Cecil County Sheriff’s officers and their K-9s. One simulation involved a K-9 and its handler being injured by a hostile drone strike, while a detained suspect sustained a bite wound during an escape attempt. Medics arrived on the scene to assess each suspect and triage in a high-stress environment, before boarding the aircraft for MEDEVAC. During flight, medics were expected to diagnose the handler’s injuries and stop the bleeding, as well as dress the K-9’s simulated wound.
“Our medics and crew chiefs enjoyed being able to use skills that we do not get to use very often, and we thoroughly enjoyed working with these civilian units,” said Adams. “The most rewarding thing I learned was that even when things were not going 100% the way I had planned, everyone was still learning, and sometimes the deviations were better than what the original plan was in the first place.”
This training event built upon previous collaboration with officers of the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office conducted last summer, where K-9s and their handlers had the chance to receive initial familiarization with UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, as well as practice hoist operations using a rescue basket.
During this exchange, officers provided valuable information regarding how to remove a K-9 from a bite in case of handler incapacitation, as well as how to respond if accidentally bitten by a K-9 while administering aid.
«Not only do we have the fortune of building strong foundations in the units we serve in and are able to effect change over many years, but we also directly impact the community we live in,» said Maryland Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Colin Winand, flight paramedic non-commissioned officer assigned to Company C, 1-169th Aviation Regiment. “Knowing that I can assist my neighbors while completing missions makes the desired outcome that more important.”
To treat K-9s and their handlers in a real-world situation requires learning how to assess vital signs and consider medication effectiveness. Mission success relied upon the medical team’s proficiency in a scenario that medics and aviators don’t often get the chance to practice or learn.
“It was really great to work with the police dogs and their handlers before a real-world emergency,” said Adams. “Knowing what works and what doesn’t is really important when working with animals before a bad day happens. I was really impressed with the dogs and the officers. They are very well-trained, so it makes it easy to work with them and determine best practices so we can be ready to respond for our state and nation when we are needed.”
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