MIDDLE RIVER, Md. -- The National Guard assistant to the commander, U.S. Cyber Command, and director, National Security Agency and Central Security Service, officially retired after 33 years of service in the United States Air Force, during a ceremony at Warfield Air National Guard Base at Martin State Airport, August 10, 2025.
Maryland Air National Guard Maj. Gen. Matthew D. Dinmore concluded his military service at the same place his career in cyber began, and Maryland Army National Guard Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead, adjutant general for Maryland, presided over the ceremony.
“Dinmore served as a commander, a scholar, an innovator, and a mentor. He lived at the edge of the mission, pushing the Guard and the nation forward into new domains,” said Birckhead. “I hope Matt knows that his legacy isn’t just in systems and strategy. It is in the people he has led, the missions he shaped, and the future he has helped secure.”
Dinmore commissioned in the U.S. Air Force in 1992 as a distinguished graduate of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He served on active duty from 1994 to 2002 before joining the 175th Information Operations Squadron in the Maryland Air National Guard.
He played a pivotal role as part of the first-generation National Guard cyber unit and later became the commander of the squadron after it was redesignated the 175th Network Warfare Squadron.
“It has been extremely challenging and very satisfying to have the opportunity to command the 175th Network Warfare Squadron and guide its transition from the original squadron and mission at Fort Meade toward becoming a group supporting USCYBERCOM,” Dinmore said.
Through the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program, Dinmore has had the opportunity to lead many of the first cyber engagements in collaboration with the Maryland National Guard’s state partner, Estonia.
Dinmore also served as the Maryland National Guard’s J6, where he oversaw communications for all-hazards domestic response and acted as the senior cyber advisor to the adjutant general.
At the U.S. Cyber Command, he served as a joint test director, leading a pioneering program to develop defensive cyber capabilities for the Department of Defense. Before assuming his most recent position, he served as the assistant to the commander for the Air National Guard, 16th Air Force.
“I was always most proud of opportunities to lead small teams and drive to an innovative, near-term result,” Dinmore said. “Some examples include leading a team of developers as a lieutenant to build a modern operations information system, and later leading the J-BASICS team to develop and test the first procedures for mitigating cyber attacks on defense critical infrastructure.”
In his most recent role, he supported the commander of the National Guard by incorporating National Guard personnel into key mission areas. Additionally, he coordinated cyber and intelligence force requirements among U.S. Cyber Command, NSA, the U.S. Army, and U.S. Air Force, and federal and state National Guard components, ensuring Guard forces are trained, equipped, and ready for integration into national-level cyber and intelligence operations.
“It’s also amazing to recognize the talents in other people, while also having the opportunity to challenge them and help them grow, which also grows you as an effective leader and teacher,” said Dinmore. “The thing I'll absolutely miss the most is working this mission with the amazing folks I've had the privilege to serve with over many years. I've learned from everyone, and that's what I would thank them all for first.”