Military District Washington
The U.S. Army Military District of Washington, headquartered at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C., is the largest tenant⁄partner supported by FMMC, with assets located at installations in the National Capital Region. Its direct influence extends from Fort A.P. Hill in central Virginia, a major training base, to Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, N.Y., the only active-duty post in the New York metropolitan area. The commander of MDW is the senior missioncommander for the Fort Myer Military Community, outside of the direct chain of command that extends from Department of the Army through the Installation Management Command.

MDW has three primary missions, the most important of which is to be the ‘‘Guardian of the Nation’s Capital.”

Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region
Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region plans, coordinates, maintains situational awareness, and as directed, employs forces for homeland defense and military assistance to civil authorities in the National Capital Region Joint Operations Area to safeguard the nation’s capital.

The false comfort that the National Capital Region would never be a target for those who wish to do us harm, evaporated Sept. 11, 2001.

In direct response to the events of thatfateful day, Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region was established as the responsibleheadquarters for land-based homeland defense, defense support to civil authorities and incidentmanagement in the national capital region.

Comprising capabilities of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, the joint headquarters can coordinate their unique skills in defending people, territory, critical infrastructures and sovereignty. As part of the U.S. Northern Command, this domesticmilitary capability is ever in a supporting role to a lead federal agency.

Growing out of the contingency missions of the U.S. Army Military District of Washington, JFHQ-NCR was activated in September 2004, following a year of developing its capabilities and organization. Situationally aware 24 hours a day, seven days a week, JFHQ-NCR monitors security requirements and coordinates with the military services, the Department of Homeland Security and local first responders in identifying capabilities the military can provide in case of an emergency or National Special Security Event. Read in detail about JFHQ-NCR at www.mdw.army.mil⁄jfhqncr.

JFHQ-NCR acquired an aviation brigade capability for its homeland defense and defense support to civil authority missions with the activation of the U.S.Army Air Operations Group (AOG) in December 2005.

The AOG includes MDW’s 12th Aviation Battalion, the 911th Engineer Company and the U.S. Army Priority Air Transport (USAPAT). USAPAT was recently assigned to MDW, moving from the Office of the Administrative Assistant, Headquarters Department of the Army.

The USAPAT Command provides high-priority, short-notice air transport for the Army’s senior leadership, senior leaders of the DoD and governmentofficials as directed. The USAPAT flies worldwide missions. See AOG’s Web site at www.mdw.army.mil⁄aog.

MDW’s ceremonial mission: Two of MDW’s most-important subcommands are based at Fort Myer. They are the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and the U.S. Army Band ‘‘Pershing’s Own.” The Soldiers in these units are familiar sights in the National Capital Region, daily demonstrating theexcellence of the U.S. Army to the nation through activities at Arlington National Cemetery, one of two nationalcemeteries that the U.S. Army - through MDW - operates. From ceremonial bands or solitary buglers at funerals withmilitary honors to the around-the-clock honor guard kept by the sentinels at the Tomb of the Unknowns, these Soldiers accord the dignity and respect earned by those who have given their lives inmilitary service to the nation.

In addition they participate inspecial events that range from arrivalceremonies for visiting dignitaries to concerts and parades open to the public.

Among them is Spirit of America, a live-action show and the Army’s largest community outreach program. Like the outdoor parade Twilight Tattoo, this free two-hour show features such talented MDW units as the Army Drill Team, The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps and elements of the Army Band. Twilight Tattoo is held on the White House ellipse in the spring and summer. Times and locations of these and other well-attended MDW events are available on the MDW or Army Band Web pages -- www.mdw.army.mil -- or on their events lines (202) 685-2851 or (866) 239-9425.

The third primary mission of the command is the legal responsibility of providing military justice to some 95 organizations based in the National Capital Region whose personnel operate worldwide. From enlisted personnel from other services to military attaches in U.S. embassies to astronauts who fly through space, the commander of MDW is the General Court Martial Convening Authority, an important responsibility that must be met to the letter.

Other major subordinate units and activities assigned to MDW include 12th Aviation Battalion, Joint Personal Property Shipping Office-Washington Area, the 911th Engineer Company and provision of garrison-level support to the Alternative Joint Communications Center. Learn more at www.mdw.army.mil.

National Defense University
For more than 25 years, the National Defense University (NDU) has been the premier center for joint professionalmilitary education. Under the direction of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, NDU provides an educational and research environment to prepare future leaders of the armed services, State Department and other civilian agencies for high-level policy, command and staff responsibilities.

Since 1976, the university has grown organizationally and broadened itseducational focus to include civilian and Reserve Component education andinformation warfare. NDU is now acenter for joint, multinational andinteragency education.

Today, NDU is comprised of the National War College (NWC), the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF), Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC), Information Resources Management College (IRMC), School for National Security Executive Education (SNSEE), the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS), the Institute for Homeland Security Studies (IHSS), the Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction (CSWMD), the Center for Technology and National Security Policy (CTNSP) and five special programs: Capstone, Joint Reserve Affairs Center (JRAC), International Student Management Office (ISMO), the Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellows Program (SDCFP) and the NATO Staff Officer Orientation Course (NSOOC).

With facilities located in Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va., more than 1,000 people attenduniversity courses and programs on any given day. NDU is an accredited graduate-level university. More than 500 master’s degrees are awarded to students who complete studies at NWC and ICAF each year. Through agreements with a number of universities, some students can earn 15 graduate credits for work completed at NDU.

Another one of NDU’s main missions is outreach. In a typical year, NDU’s outreach efforts include more than 500 conferences, symposia and workshops; 20,000 visitors, 120 faculty and staff publications;and 350 conference presentations by universityfaculty and staff to both national and internationalaudiences.

Inter-American Defense College
The Inter-American Defense College is an advanced-studies institute for senior officers of the 25-member nations of the Inter-American Defense Board. Up to three students of the rank of colonel or the equivalent may be sent to the college by each member nation. The students’ backgrounds must qualify them to participate in the solution ofhemispheric-defense problems.

The officers study world alliances and theinternational situation, the inter-American system and its role, strategic concepts of war and engage in a planning exercise for hemispheric defense. Thecollege has been at Fort McNair since 1962.

Center of Military History
In September 1998, the Army Center of Military History moved from rented offices in Washington, D.C., to Fort McNair in historically preserved quarters remodeled from its previous use as a commissary and before that as Fort McNair’s stables.

The center dates from the creation of the Army General Staff historical branch in July 1943 and the gathering of a team of professional historians, translators, editors and cartographers to record the history of World War II. That effort led to a monumental79-volume series known as the ‘‘Green Books.”

Today, the center operates through five divisions, the histories division being the one most involved in writing the histories and providing historical research support to the Army staff. The field programs andhistorical services division guide work done at various posts and installations, as well as the work done by deployed historical detachments for Armyoperations, ensures historical information iscomprehensive and factual.

Another division is responsible foroverseeing the Army museum system andpreservation of artifacts and artwork that arethe Army’s historical treasure. One such museum, The Old Guard Museum, is located at Fort Myer.Another division is focused on planning, designing and constructing the National Museum of the United States Army. The center’s publishing divisionproduces books, other publications and CD-ROMs, ensuring access to these works through the center’s Web site. Find out more at www.history.army.mil.