CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Ohio National Guard has been an active presence in the state over the past several months, both during the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing protests in major cities.
Ohio National Guard Adjutant Gen. John Harris said Tuesday that 100 Guard members were deployed to Washington to help with response to protests in the nation’s capital. Guard members are also currently aiding in the state’s coronavirus response, including distributing food at food banks and assisting the Ohio Department of Health with testing in nursing homes.
Here’s a quick look at who the Ohio National Guard is, what they do and their history.
Who is in the Ohio National Guard?
There are two distinct branches of the Ohio National Guard: the Ohio Army National Guard and the Ohio Air National Guard. Both function as in-state auxiliary forces for U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force with the same basic duties.
The Ohio National Guard consists of volunteers from within the state. There are currently more than 16,000 Guard members in the state.
Members are separated into two categories: enlisted members and officers. Enlisted members are the rank-and-file members from privates to sergeant majors. Officers range from lieutenants to generals. There are also warrant officers in the National Guard ranks who hold specialties in specific fields.
Most Guard members are part time, though some work full time.
Members are under the auspices of the adjutant general of Ohio when on missions within the state. When on federal deployment, they serve under their respective branches.
When was the Ohio National Guard founded?
Ohio National Guard spokeswoman Stephanie Beougher said the Guard traces its lineage to 1788 when the Northwest Territory was carved out.
Ohio was admitted into the United States in 1803 and one of the first acts of the legislature was to establish a militia, the historical equivalent of the Ohio National Guard. The title Ohio National Guard was first used in 1864 under Gov. John Brough.
The Ohio National Guard has served in conflicts ranging from the War of 1812 to the Iraq War.
Arguably the most infamous moment in Ohio National Guard history came May 4, 1970, when Guard members shot 13 unarmed Kent State University students protesting the Vietnam War, killing four.
What’s the commitment?
National Guard commitments are eight years, though members could serve as little as three or six years with the rest of their contract on Individual Ready Reserve, a type of inactive duty that could be called in case of an emergency, according to the National Guard’s website.
Members can be activated for a variety of roles, including both domestic response and active combat duty.
Guard members are routinely called in to assist with natural disaster response like flooding and tornadoes. They’ve been an active presence during the coronavirus pandemic, assisting with food banks, planning for buildout of medical capacity, prison testing and nursing home testing. The Guard is also currently in Cleveland and Columbus at the request of mayors of those cities to help police respond to ongoing protests.
How does it work?
Enlistment works just the same as any other branch of the military, though training, daily duties and deployment are different.
Guard members typically train one weekend a month – known as “drill” – with a longer annual training varying based on the Guard members’ specialty.
In times of deployment, Guard members are on duty at their site. This could be laying sandbags at a flood site, backing up law enforcement for riot control or serving in active combat zones such as Iraq or Afghanistan.
How much are Guard members paid?
Pay for Guard members varies based on rank and length of service. The vast majority of the National Guard are enlisted members.
Guard members are normally paid for their weekend drill and annual training. If called into active duty, they receive a bump in pay for the month they are active.
A new member at the lowest rank – E-1 Private – makes around $3,311 annually, according to the National Guard’s income calculator. That breaks down to $214 per weekend drill and $748 per annual training. When on active duty, that same member would be paid $1,602 per month ($19,224 per year if active for a full 12 months).
A more tenured enlisted member – such as an E-4 Specialist – who has served four years makes around $5,445 annually – $351 per weekend drill and $1,229 per annual training. Their active duty pay would be around $2,635 per month ($31,620 per year).
Officers make much more than enlisted members. A First Lieutenant – or O-2 rank – who has served five years makes around $685 per weekend drill and $2,397 per annual drill for around $10,613 annually. Active duty pay is $5,136 per month ($61,632 per year).
Guard members also qualify for a variety of benefits, most notably 100% of their college education paid for, with some exceptions.
Where do Guard members stay when deployed?
Where Guard members are housed when active depends on their deployment, Beougher said.
“There are times where they can stay at an armory if the response is close to an armory,” Beougher said. “If they’re close to home, they can go back to their home. In some cases, especially with (coronavirus), there have been instances where members – because they might be in a high risk area such as a prison, they don’t want to spread that to their families – there have been other ways they’ve been able to stay in other locations such as area hotels.”
When on federal orders, Guard members stay wherever their corresponding branches order. Beougher said she did not know where the 100 Guard members currently deployed to assist the District of Columbia National Guard in Washington are housed.
When deployed overseas, Guard members usually stay on bases with their corresponding branches.
How do you join the Ohio National Guard?
Guard members join through a recruiter either at a local recruiting center or requesting a recruiter to contact them personally.
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