ADELPHI, Md. — The Maryland Army National Guard’s 629th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion welcomed a new commander during a change of command ceremony at the DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory headquartered at the Adelphi Laboratory Center, July 13, 2026.
Lt. Col. David P. Scott assumed command of the battalion from Lt. Col. Joseph D. Pieper during a ceremony officiated by Col. Kirstie Y. Roy, commander of the 58th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade. Maj. Gen. Janeen L. Birckhead, the adjutant general of Maryland, and Brig. Gen. Wesley “Dale” Murray, 29th Infantry Division assistant division commander for support, attended as distinguished guests.
During Pieper’s tenure, the battalion achieved a 95% overall readiness rating, the highest in the brigade, while preparing for the Army’s latest “battalion-next” organizational framework. The transition included a reduction of nearly half of the unit’s legacy force structure while expanding intelligence support to combatant commands around the world.
“You took command of what was the largest, most complex battalion in the brigade,” said Roy, who serves at the National Guard Bureau as the principal lead for Information Warfare modernization. “You didn’t just maintain the standard. You elevated it.”
During Pieper’s three-year command, the battalion continued to transform as it transferred one-third of its personnel to establish a second intelligence battalion in Maryland. Despite personnel changes, equipment shortages and disruptions to training, the unit continued supporting intelligence missions around the world and participated in major exercises including Warfighter 26-4, Thunder Strike, and Northern Strike.
“Everything we accomplished, we accomplished together. Through chaos, through uncertainty, through transformation, you made it happen,” Pieper said to the past and present soldiers of the battalion in attendance. “It has been the honor of my career to serve as your commander. You are the best battalion in the Army, without question. You proved it time and time again.”
Pieper was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal during the ceremony. During his military career, he served in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait while holding tactical, operational and strategic intelligence assignments. Pieper will continue to lead the Maryland National Guard Counterdrug Program.
Scott’s assignments have included leadership positions in Hawaii, the District of Columbia National Guard and the National Guard Bureau. Most recently, he served as deputy chief of staff for the Army National Guard at the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.
According to Scott, his new soldiers are well positioned for success. The battalion will become the first organization in the Army to receive the new Minerva training platform and the only Army Guard unit designated as a Transformation in Contact formation, which means lessons learned will inform Army doctrine, organization, and training.
“The future of warfare is being written right now in how we train, think, and fight together,” said Scott. “We are the pen that’s writing that future. I am proud to join you, proud to serve alongside you, and confident our best days are ahead.
