Ohio National Guard’s COVID mission winding down

(The Center Square) – A 16-month, 4,000-troop mission to support COVID-19 response throughout Ohio is transitioning for the Ohio National Guard.

The guard and Ohio State Defense Force are moving to a smaller, more flexible response force from the emergency COVID-19 response that began in March 2020, according to a news release from Maj. Gen. John Harris Jr.

“In the tradition of the minuteman, each soldier and airman who contributed to the missions while helping their fellow Ohioans did so with little or no notice. It is part of our organization’s DNA to always be ready,” Harris said. “The COVID-19 response mission has affirmed and strengthened their commitment to support this great state and its people.”

The entire COVID-19 mission was funded through the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund using federal tax dollars, according to the Ohio National Guard. The total cost of the mission was not readily available.

While more than 4,000 troops served in the mission, around 1,000 guard members were deployed at the height of the pandemic. As of July 19, approximately 180 were deployed, and Harris directed the joint task force overseeing the COVID-19 missions to continue to scale back by July 30 to around 40 troops, who will provide logistic and vaccination support.

Federal funding for the mission is expected to continue until the end of September.

The nearly 70 missions included support to food banks, vaccine assistance, processing unemployment claims, working with the department of corrections and providing temporary medical staffing to more than 30 long-term care facilities.

“It’s definitely been a rewarding experience,” Senior Airman Briana Staples, assigned to the 123rd Air Control Squadron, based in Blue Ash, said. “Knowing that what I’m doing is making an impact on people who live down the street from me and people who live in a different city than me, it feels good.”

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