MIDDLE RIVER, Md. -- Eight Maryland Air National Guard members have graduated from the U.S. Air Force Warrant Officer Training School during the past year, including a final group of graduates recognized during a ceremony at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, on October 9, 2025.
Among the graduates from last year, two additional members of the 175th Cyberspace Operations Group received the Top Graduate award. Of the 87 warrant officers in the Air National Guard, 11 are currently assigned to the 175th Wing and serve at Fort Meade or Warfield Air National Guard Base. Ten members have attended and completed the U.S. Air Force Warrant Officer Training School, and as of December 19, 2025, the first interservice warrant officer transfer between the U.S. Navy and the Air National Guard occurred when Chief Warrant Officer 2 Brian Ruzin was welcomed to the 175th Cyberspace Operations Squadron.
As a warrant officer in the U.S. Air Force, Airmen act as technical subject matter experts and trusted advisors operating between the enlisted and commissioned officers within their primary chain of command. The USAF warrant officer program, which was reintroduced in 2024 after being phased out in 1959, brings additional technical support for cyber operators of the Maryland Air National Guard to further mission readiness and expand their capabilities.
“I look forward to using my experience and training to posture a new wing of cyberspace,” Chief Warrant Officer 2 Benjamin Koloff, capabilities developer and cyberspace operator for the 175th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, and recipient of the Top Graduate award of class 25-04 and Outstanding Contributor for Long Flight. “I hope to integrate tactical capabilities developers into the mission element constructed under USCYBERCOMMAND.”
Koloff and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Allen Ramsay, cyber analyst for the 276th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, graduated as part of Class 25-04 on July 31, 2025.
“The best advice to our Airmen is to take chances, try new things and don't be afraid to ask questions,” said Ramsay. “Learn all the time and don't be afraid to fail. It’s important to take all the new opportunities possible and learn from them.”
Other graduates include Warrant Officer Michael Stevenson, cyber warfare operator for the 175th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jason Sullivan, defensive cyber operations network analyst for the 275th Operations Support Squadron, recognized April 30, 2025, as part of Class 25-02.
Among the most recent graduates of class 25-04 in October are Chief Warrant Officer 2 Robbert Freter, defensive cyber operator for the 275th Cyberspace Operations Squadron and Top Graduate of Class 26-01, Warrant Officer Robbert Hedderick defensive cyber operator for the Cyberspace Operations Squadron, Warrant Officer Andrew Patrick special projects expert for the 276th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, and Warrant Officer Matthew Bryant, offensive cyber operator for the 175th Cyberspace Operations Squadron.
The training for each class spanned over an eight-week timeframe, which focused on the main tenets of a warrant officer, which include professional warfighting, technical integration, and credible advising. More specifically, the course focused on honing skillsets within leadership development, advanced technical skills, operational integration, and mentorship.
“Support from friends and family was invaluable and I would not have been able to attend the training if it weren’t for the amazing support of my mother-in-law, and my parents, who helped my wife care for our two children while I was away,” said Warrant Officer Andrew Patrick, special projects expert for the 276th cyber operations squadron, and Outstanding Contributor for the Barrow Flight of Class 26-01. “It was great to be a part of an all Air National Guard class and meet great people from around the country.”
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Erik Reichenbach and Warrant Officer Nicholas Custead led the way as part of the inaugural graduating class, graduating December 6, 2024. Currently, including Custead, half of the graduating classes for the warrant officer training school featured Maryland Air National Guardsmen as top award winners.
“Having a seat at the table from the inception of the warrant officer program has given me a new perspective. I get to advocate for the National Guard, and the Warrant Officer Training School program helps build the foundation,” said Reichenbach, subject matter expert for the 175th Communication Squadron. “The 175th Wing is going to lead the National Guard with the most Warrant officers in a single guard base, which means it's our job to lead the way in excellence.”