Ohio Military Reserve

Last updated
Ohio Military Reserve
AbbreviationOHMR
Type State defense force
HeadquartersHaubrich Armory Columbus, Ohio.
Region served
Flag of Ohio.svg  Ohio
Commander
Deano L. McNeil Sr., COL (OH), SDF
Main organ
Adjutant General of The State of Ohio
Parent organization
Ohio National Guard
Volunteers
300+/- Reservists [1]
Website http://www.ohiomilitaryreserve.com/

The Ohio Military Reserve (OHMR) is one of three separate volunteer organizations that make up the State Defense Force (SDF). The SDF shares some similarities with the OHARNG (OHMR) and US Navy (ONM) in rank and organization, but are not part of the Reserve Component nor affiliated with any Active Component organization. The Ohio Military Reserve as well as the other SDF organizations fall under the Adjutant General's Department for command and control purposes but are not members of the Ohio National Guard.

Contents

State Defense Forces are not eligible for federal funding and must request their assets from the state. However, like most other SDFs, the Ohio Military Reserve is almost entirely self-funded. Personnel are unpaid for their training and must provide their own uniforms and equipment.

The Ohio Military Reserve serves under the Adjutant General and is headquartered at the Haubrich Armory in Columbus, Ohio.[ citation needed ]

The OHMR has a "sister service", the Ohio Naval Militia which operates out of Camp Perry, located near Port Clinton, Ohio. [2]

History

20th century

During World War I, 120 companies of Home Guard were organized across the cities and towns of Ohio to replace the Ohio National Guard, which was sent overseas. Organized at a local level, members were classified as policemen or deputy sheriffs by local authorities. In 1918, the Governor of Ohio recognized the units officially, reclassifying them as the Ohio Home Guard under authority of the governor, so that they could receive rifles and other equipment from the federal government. [3]

The Ohio Home Guard was reactivated during World War II under the name "Ohio State Guard." The Ohio State Guard reached a strength of over 4,000 by June 1944. Among other responsibilities, the Ohio State Guard staffed a mobile gas warfare demonstration school which instructed more than 25,000 civil defense workers in addition to its own units. [3]

Ohio maintained its state defense through the Cold War as well. The Ohio Defense Corps was established in May 1949; a minimum cadre for five regiments was recruited within a month. [3]

Reorganization

Sgt. Terry Boyd, assigned to the Ohio Military Reserve's Bravo Company 1st Battalion, packages meal boxes at the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank. Sgt. Boyd, Ohio Military Reserve's Bravo Company 1st Battalion, packages meal boxes.jpg
Sgt. Terry Boyd, assigned to the Ohio Military Reserve’s Bravo Company 1st Battalion, packages meal boxes at the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank.

In 2009, the OHMR underwent a reorganization which changed its mission to emergency management. [4] The OHMR began a transformation process that took it from its former mission as a cadre state defense force held in reserve to its current mission as an active force. The current mission focuses on FEMA Emergency Support Functions (ESF) 6 and 7. This includes aiding in operating mass care facilities (ESF 6) and warehouses, distribution centers, and support facilities (ESF 7). [5]

The transformation took part in three phases. The first phase was integration, which ended in September 2010. In the second phase, the OHMR became initially operational capable during the Fiscal Year 2011, and the third resulted in the OHMR becoming fully operational capable in Fiscal Year 2012. [6]

Modern era

On 25 October 2019, Governor Mike DeWine signed into law a bill which created a volunteer Ohio Cyber Reserve (OhCR) made up of trained civilians and organized as a part of the Ohio Military Reserve. The stated purpose of the unit is to be available for the governor to assist eligible municipalities with cybersecurity vulnerabilities and provide recommendations to reduce cyber threats. The first teams are expected to be created by the end of January 2020. [7]

Beginning in March 2020, members of the Ohio Military Reserve were activated as a part of Operation Steady Resolve, as part of Ohio’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial mission was to assist twelve food banks across Ohio with packaging, transporting and distributing food and other essential items to vulnerable populations across Ohio. [8] In Columbus, the National Guard and Military Reserve packed boxes and served meals to men staying at the Downtown YMCA, including those who have been relocated from homeless shelters. [9]

Personnel and training

Enlistment is voluntary, however all soldiers swear an oath of enlistment or appointment. Officers hold state, not federal, commissions. Units are co-located in state-owned readiness centers (armories) with National Guard units across the state. Most units drill one weekend a month and all troops must attend one week of training annually (annual training, or AT). In the past, troops trained with pistols and shotguns, however, the cost of maintenance and annual re-certification has caused this training to be dropped. Although they are covered by the State’s insurance and workers’ compensation program, soldiers are not paid for their training time or AT period. However, if mobilized, they would be compensated. §5903.02 of the Ohio Revised Code provides OHMR personnel protection under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act (USERRA) which addresses military leave from employment for both training and deployment.

In 2010, as part of its shift to an emergency management mission, the OHMR sponsored training on National Incident Management System (NIMS) compliance and Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) for all soldiers in the OHMR. [6]

The OHMR maintains a military training academy to conduct state versions of standard Army professional development courses such as Basic Entry Level Training (required for all non-prior service personnel), Primary Leadership Development Course, Basic Non-commissioned Officer Course, and the Basic Officer Course. [6] In addition, the OHMR Academy offers a series of Army Institute for Professional Development (AIPD) correspondence courses. [10]

OHMR members can earn the Military Emergency Management Specialist Badge from the State Guard Association of the United States, The badge includes Basic, Senior and Master level qualifications. [10]

Uniform

State Defense Force Beret Flash SDF Flash.GIF
State Defense Force Beret Flash

The current uniform of OHMR is the OCP (Operational Camouflage Pattern) with tan name tags, the Ohio flag patch on the right arm and OHMR unit patch on the left arm. [11] The members of OHMR are authorized to wear the Army Service Uniform (ASU), with the exception of a red, rather than black, nameplate, OHMR or Ohio buttons, and SDF specific insignia. The OHMR wears the service cap (with modified insignia) with the ASU as well as the black beret with the red "State Defense Force" Beret Flash worn by some other states. [12]

Under Ohio law, members of the Ohio Military Reserve are guaranteed the same employment rights and protections as federal reservists enjoy under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). Among other legal rights guaranteed under this provision, OHMR members are protected from discrimination based on their membership in the OHMR both during the hiring process and after becoming employed; they are also guaranteed a leave of absence from their places of employment whenever they are activated for training or to take part in an emergency, and their employers are required to reinstate these employees to their previous positions when they return from deployment. [13]

Members of the OHMR, being a part of the Ohio Organized Militia [14] are treated as law enforcement officers and are immune from arrest during state active duty deployment except in case of treason or felony [15] when aiding the civil authorities after being called upon by the Governor with executing the laws of the state, suppressing insurrection, repelling invasion, or promoting the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of this state. Arrest powers are limited in scope in that the arrest must be made with the immediate intent to deliver the person in custody to civil authorities. [16]

Awards and decorations

The OHMR issues multiple awards and decorations to its members, and allows members to wear OHMR-approved ribbons from the State Guard Association of the United States. Members are also permitted to be awarded certain State of Ohio, Ohio National Guard awards when approved by the Adjutant General of the State of Ohio. [17] [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State defense force</span> Military units under control of U.S. State governments

In the United States, state defense forces are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government. State defense forces are authorized by state and federal law and are under the command of the governor of each state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Guard</span> Military unit

The California State Guard (CSG) is a component of the California National Guard (CNG). The CSG is a volunteer force that supports the state missions and federal readiness of the Army and Air National Guard. CSG service members come from all branches of the military and are citizens with essential skills. Many CSG service members are fully integrated with Army National Guard and Air National Guard units, and are full-time state active duty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio Naval Militia</span> Military unit

The Ohio Naval Militia is the naval militia of the State of Ohio. It is the naval arm of the State of Ohio's Adjutant General's Department, and is part of Ohio's military forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia Defense Force</span> Military unit

The Virginia Defense Force (VDF) is the official state defense force of Virginia, one of the three components of Virginia's state military along with the Virginia National Guard which includes the Virginia Army National Guard, the Virginia Air National Guard, and the unorganized militia. As of 2019, the VDF has approximately 250 soldiers. The VDF is the descendant of the Virginia State Guard, the Virginia Regiment, and ultimately the Colonial Virginia militia of the Virginia Colony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs</span> Part of the state Executive Department

The New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs is responsible for the state's New York Army National Guard, New York Air National Guard, New York Guard and the New York Naval Militia. It is headed by Adjutant General of New York Major General Raymond F. Shields Jr., appointed on October 1, 2018. with the Governor of New York Kathy Hochul serving as Commander in Chief of the state's militia forces. It is part of the New York State Executive Department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia State Defense Force</span> Military unit

The Georgia State Defense Force is a professionally trained, volunteer component of the Georgia Department of Defense, serving in support of the national and state constitutions under direction of the governor and the adjutant general of Georgia. As a State Defense Force (SDF), the GSDF serves alongside the Georgia Army National Guard and the Georgia Air National Guard.

Awards and decorations of the state defense forces are presented to members of the state defense forces in addition to regular United States military decorations and state National Guard military decorations. Each of the state governments of the United States maintains a series of decorations for issuance to members of the state defense forces, with such awards presented under the authority of the various state adjutants general and/or respective state defense force commanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio National Guard</span> Militia of the U.S. state of Ohio

The Ohio National Guard comprises the Ohio Army National Guard and the Ohio Air National Guard. The commander-in-chief of the Ohio Army National Guard is the governor of the U.S. state of Ohio. If the Ohio Army National Guard is called to federal service, then the President of the United States becomes the commander-in-chief. The military commander of all forces in the State of Ohio is the Adjutant General, Major General John C. Harris, Jr. is responsible for the command of 17,000 members, preparedness and readiness, installation management, and budget of the Ohio National Guard. The current Assistant Adjutant General for Army, with responsibility for overseeing the Ohio Army National Guard training and operations, is Brigadier General Thomas E. Moore II. The current Assistant Adjutant General for Air is Major General James R. Camp with responsibility for overseeing the Ohio Air National Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut Military Department</span> Component of the US National Guard of the state of Connecticut

The Connecticut Military Department is a state agency of the government of Connecticut. Its primary components are the Connecticut Army National Guard, the Connecticut Air National Guard, and four companies of the state militia. The Military Department of the State of Connecticut traces its origins to May 11, 1637, when the "General Courts" established a military arm of the provincial government. In 1939, the State's Military Department was established to consolidate the offices of Adjutant General, Quartermaster General, Armory Board, and Armory Board Inspector.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas State Guard</span> Military unit

The Texas State Guard (TXSG) is part of the state military force of Texas, and one of three branches of the Texas Military Forces. Along with the other two branches, the TXSG falls under the command of the Governor of Texas and is administered by the Adjutant General of Texas, an appointee of the Governor. The other two branches of the Texas Military Forces are the Texas Army National Guard and the Texas Air National Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act of 1994</span>

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 was passed by U.S. Congress and signed into law by U.S. President Bill Clinton on October 13, 1994 to protect the civilian employment of active and reserve military personnel in the United States called to active duty. The law applies to all United States uniformed services and their respective reserve components.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mississippi State Guard</span>

The Mississippi State Guard (MSSG) is the state defense force of Mississippi. It operates under the authority of the Mississippi Military Department alongside the Mississippi Army National Guard (MSARNG) and the Mississippi Air National Guard (MSANG).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indiana Guard Reserve</span> State defense force of Indiana

The Indiana Guard Reserve (INGR), formerly the Liberty Guard and the Indiana Legion, is the state defense force of the state of Indiana. The Indiana Guard Reserve serves under the exclusive authority of the governor of the State of Indiana through his executive agent for military matters, The Adjutant General of Indiana. The Guard Reserve is a unique military organization designed to supplement the Indiana National Guard and to defend Indiana if any part of the Indiana National Guard is in active federal service. The Indiana Guard Reserve also provides MEMS qualified soldiers who can augment Indiana Homeland Security missions and County Emergency Operations activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts State Defense Force</span> Military unit

The Massachusetts State Defense Force (MSDF) was a state defense force of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It was inactivated in 2016 by Governor Charlie Baker. The purpose of the Massachusetts State Defense Force was to augment the Massachusetts National Guard during emergencies in the state, especially when some or all of the National Guard was deployed. The MSDF was an all-volunteer militia which reported to the State Adjutant General and was under the command of the Governor of Massachusetts. Members met for drills one weekend per month unless activated by the Governor during an emergency. The MSDF was headquartered at Milford, Massachusetts, in the same building as the Massachusetts National Guard. The director of the MSDF was appointed by The Adjutant General of Massachusetts (TAGMA). The Massachusetts State Defense Force was authorized by both the Constitution of Massachusetts and chapter 33 § 10 of the Massachusetts General Laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Carolina State Guard</span> Military unit

The South Carolina State Guard (SCSG) is the designated state defense force for the state of South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Mexico State Defense Force</span> Military unit

The New Mexico State Defense Force (NMSDF), formerly known as the New Mexico State Guard (NMSG), is the state defense force of the state of New Mexico. The NMSDF is an all-volunteer, reserve military force which works in parallel to the state's National Guard. It is authorized by Title 32, Section 109, United States Code, NGB Reg. 10-4, Chapter 20, NMSA, 1978 Comp., the U.S. Constitution, and the New Mexico State Constitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puerto Rico State Guard</span> State defense force of Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rico State Guard (PRSG) —Spanish: Guardia Estatal de Puerto Rico— is the state defense force of Puerto Rico that operates under the sole authority of the governor of Puerto Rico who, in turn, delegates such authority to the Puerto Rico Adjutant General. The Guard's secondary purpose is to assume the state mission of the Puerto Rico National Guard in the event that the National Guard is mobilized. The first incarnation of the PRSG was created in 1941 in response to World War II and it disbanded in 1946. The PRSG was revived in 1971 and has remained in continuous existence since then. The PRSG is one of the few state defense forces of the United States that has an air division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve</span> United States government agency

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is the lead U.S. Defense Department program promoting cooperation and understanding between civilian employers and their National Guard and Reserve employees. Established in 1972, ESGR operates within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. ESGR develops and promotes supportive work environments for service members in the Reserve Components through outreach, recognition, and educational opportunities that increase awareness of applicable laws and resolves employer conflicts between the service members and their employers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missouri State Defense Force</span> Militia branch of the State of Missouri

The Missouri State Defense Force (MSDF), formerly known as the Missouri Reserve Military Force, was the official state defense force of Missouri, deactivated in 2022. As a state defense force, the MSDF was a reserve military force which served parallel to the Missouri National Guard. As the MSDF fell solely under the command of the state of Missouri, it could not be federalized or deployed outside the borders of Missouri, unlike the National Guard. Although the MSDF and the Missouri National Guard were separate organizations, the MSDF's primary scope was to work alongside the National Guard during stateside operations, or in lieu of the National Guard when the National Guard is deployed outside of Missouri. Along with the Missouri Army National Guard, the Missouri Air National Guard, and the Missouri Naval Militia, the Missouri State Defense Force is recognized under Missouri law as part of the organized militia of Missouri.

References

  1. ↑ Albrecht, Brian (11 August 2019). "Ohio Military Reserve augments National Guard". The Plain Dealer . Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  2. ↑ "Mission". Ohio Naval Militia. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Tulenko, Thomas; Chase, Bradley; Dupuy, Trevor N.; Hayes, Grace P. (March 1981). "US Home Defense Force Study" (PDF). California Military Museums. Historical Evaluation and Research Organization. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  4. ↑ Kight, Fred (1 February 2017). "They want you! Ohio Military Reserve lacking Athens residents". Athens News . Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  5. ↑ "The Ohio Adjutant General's Office 2009 Annual Report" (PDF). Ohio Adjutant General's Department. 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 "The Ohio Adjutant General's Office 2010 Annual Report" (PDF). Ohio Adjutant General's Department. 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  7. ↑ "Top achievements of 2019 for Ohio National Guard: Cybersecurity a major focus of efforts". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. 31 December 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  8. ↑ Hughes, Shane (25 March 2020). "Operation Steady Resolve: Joint Task Force 37 helping Ohioans during COVID-19 pandemic". Dvidshub . Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  9. ↑ Zachariah, Holly (23 March 2020). "Coronavirus: Ohio National Guard and Military Reserve feed the needy in new mission". The Columbus Dispatch . Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  10. 1 2 "How We Train". Ohio Military Reserve.
  11. ↑ "Ohio Military Reserve". ohiomilitaryreserve.com. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  12. ↑ Wear and Appearance of Uniforms and Insignia, Ohio Military Reserve Regulation 670-1, Ohio Military Reserve, dated 1 May 2012, last accessed 1 May 2020
  13. ↑ "5903.02 Reinstatement and reemployment rights". Ohio General Assembly . Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  14. ↑ ORC § 5923.01. (A)(3)
  15. ↑ ORC § 5923.27. (A)
  16. ↑ ORC § 5923.231.
  17. ↑ "Ohio Military Reserve Awards and Decorations" (PDF). Ohio Military Reserve Official Website. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2010. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  18. ↑ "OHMR Ribbon Rack Builder". Ohio Knowledge Online. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.