News

WTP Attorney, Tom Beach, Serving in Louisiana

Date: September 9, 2005
Thomas C. Beach, III, a partner in the firm's Construction and Surety/Fidelity Law Group, is currently serving as part of a Maryland Defense Force (MDDF) task force in Louisiana. Tom volunteered to serve as the mission executive officer for a medical support team comprised of 100 physicians and medical personnel from Johns Hopkins and other area hospitals. In a recent report from Brigadier General (Judge) Frederic N. Smalkin (Commander of the MDDF), we learned that since arriving in Louisiana this weekend, Tom has had to reorganize on the fly from the original mission of providing support to West Jefferson Parish Medical Center to organizing the group into six pods and establishing 1/2 dozen triage groups. The deployment is expected to last at least two weeks. The Maryland Defense Force is a volunteer group charged with supporting the mission of the Maryland National Guard. This is the first out of state deployment of the MDDF since its organization in 1917. In addition to Tom, Joe Pokempner serves as COL., Chief of the MDDF JAG Corps and Bob Wright serves as LTC Region 2, Chief Legal Officer. The MDDF's JAG Corps is charged with providing pro bono legal services to members of the MD National Guard being deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.