Maryland Guard cases colors of 729th QM Company ahead of redesignation
SYKESVILLE, Md. - The Maryland Army National Guard cased the colors of the 729th Quartermaster Company at the Major General Linda L. Singh Readiness Center as it transitioned to the 529th Division Sustainment Support Battalion, September 11, 2026.
The next day at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Soldiers of the 729th QM Company became Alpha and Bravo companies under the 529th DSSB, displaying new guidons as the unit was officially redesignated.
“Today marks change, and sometimes change can be unsettling,” said Brig. Gen. Andrew Collins, commander of the Maryland Army National Guard. “If you hate change, you will hate irrelevance more. But not all change is bad, as we have seen that throughout history.”
The redesignation places the 529th DSSB under the North Carolina National Guard’s 29th Division Sustainment Brigade. Soldiers will continue to wear the 29th Infantry Division patch, keeping the Maryland unit tied to the division’s long history and current sustainment mission.
“Deactivation is not a measure of failure, nor does it diminish the contributions of those who served here,” said Lt. Col. James Edie, commander of the 1297th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion. “Rather, it reflects the changing needs of the force, the evolution of mission requirements, and the Army's ongoing transformation to meet future demands.”
The history of the 729th Quartermaster Company is deeply connected to the history of the Maryland Army National Guard. The unit originated in 1880 as the Hagerstown Light Infantry and entered federal service during the Spanish-American War. Its lineage continued through World War I, including service in the Meuse-Argonne campaign, and World War II, including the invasion of Normandy and campaigns in Northern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe.
“We honor not only the history of the 729th Quartermaster Company, but also the acts of service, discipline, teamwork, and sacrifice represented by this unit,” said Edie. “The guidon may be retired from active service, but the legacy remains alive in every Soldier who trained here, served here, led here, and called this company home.”
Following an inactivation after the war, the unit was reestablished in 1947 and underwent additional structural changes over the following decades. In 2016, it was converted and redesignated as the 729th Quartermaster Company. The next year, they responded to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, and nearly 200 Soldiers deployed to Poland in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve in 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the 729th also supported communities across Maryland as part of the state's response.
"I am extremely proud of all the hard work the 729th Soldiers have put in over the years, from deployments to state active duty and everything in between,” said Capt. Kyle Moran, commander of the Alpha Company, 529th DSSB. “I am asking them to carry that same hunger for challenging tasks and environments to Alpha Company, Bravo Company, or wherever they go with their military careers."
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