March 2020 Gallery
Photo courtesy of the Governor's Office
Memorializing a fallen Ohio hero
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (center, in blue suit) stands with family and friends of Lt. Col. Kevin Sonnenberg — an F-16 fighter jet pilot with the 180th Fighter Wing who died while serving in Iraq in 2007 — following the signing of House Bill 276 March 4, 2020, at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. The new legislation named part of state Route 65 in Henry County (between county Road H and state Route 110) in honor of Sonnenberg. The Ohio Department of Transportation will coordinate an official sign unveiling in the future.
Photo by Staff Sgt. Rachel Simones, 178th Wing Public Affairs
State command chief: Airmen care, development top priorities
Chief Master Sgt. Heidi Bunker was appointed the 11th command chief master sergeant of the Ohio Air National Guard in January 2020. As the state command chief, Bunker sees her top priority as caring for and developing Airmen to succeed when faced with challenges. “We need Airmen who see challenges as opportunities. Increasing the emotional intelligence, resilience and cognitive flexibility of our Airmen will play key roles in our success.”
Photo by Staff Sgt. Zachary Tateman, 178th Wing Public Affairs
178th Force Support Squadron keeps Airmen fueled
Airman 1st Class Kelsey Bohachek, a services Airman assigned to the 178th Force Support Squadron, prepares desert for a drill weekend meal March 7, 2020, at the Springfield Air National Guard Base in Springfield, Ohio. The 178th FSS is responsible for preparing meals on drill weekends, maintaining the dining facility and providing additional morale services.
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Courtesy photo
Sisters embark on National Guard careers together
Hailey (right) and Lexi Ireton are setting out on a new journey together as enlisted members of the Ohio Army National Guard. They will both serve as chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) specialists in the 637th Chemical Company, based in Kettering, Ohio. “I love that my sister is in the Guard with me. It’s an amazing experience that I would love to share together,” Lexi said.
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Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Chad Menegay, Ohio National Guard Public Affairs
Senior enlisted leader brings traditional Guard perspective to key position
Command Sgt. Maj. William Workley (left), the Ohio National Guard senior enlisted leader, presents the Keeper of the Colors Award to Command Sgt. Maj. Rodger M. Jones, outgoing Ohio Army National Guard state command sergeant major, during a change of responsibility ceremony Sept. 30, 2019, at the Maj. Gen. Robert S. Beightler Armory in Columbus, Ohio. Command Sgt. Maj. Dwight S. Chambliss accepted responsibility as the state command sergeant major from Jones, who was retiring.
Photo by Sgt. Alexander Morgan, 11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs
Welcome home after a job well done
Capt. Brandon Moeller (left), production control officer for Company B, 638th Support Battalion (Aviation Support), and other Soldiers from the Ohio Army National Guard unit are welcomed back to the U.S. earlier this year after their plane landed at Fort Bliss, Texas. The unit returned from nearly a yearlong overseas deployment in support of U.S. Central Command.
Photo by Senior Airman Marc Wilson, 179th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
200th RED HORSE Squadron Airmen deploy
Airmen of the 200th RED HORSE (Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer) Squadron, Detachment 1 leave for a deployment Mar. 18, 2020, at the 179th Airlift Wing in Mansfield, Ohio. Command Chief Master Sgt. Heidi Bunker (left), Ohio Air National Guard state command chief, touches elbows with an Airman — as an alternative to a traditional handshake and safety measure to try and limit physical contact during the COVID-19 virus pandemic — as the Airmen prepare to begin their mission supporting ongoing operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
Photo from Ohio Army National Guard Historical Collections
Ready when needed:
Ohio National Guard’s history of supporting Ohio during times of emergency
Ohio Army National Guard engineers units assist in the recovery efforts during the 1990 Shadyside flooding in southern Ohio. The Ohio National Guard has a long history of providing provides a variety of services and support to assist first responders and citizens in the aftermath of natural disasters or emergencies.
Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Beth Holliker, 180th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Operation Steady Resolve:
Joint Task Force 37 helping Ohioans during COVID-19 pandemic
Spc. Jacque Elama, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment, shares a popular message of togetherness while serving at the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank, March 26, 2020, in Toledo, Ohio. Nearly 400 Ohio National Guard members were activated to provide humanitarian mission support in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Beth Holliker, 180th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Soldiers supporting food bank mission help rescue car crash victim
Five Soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment provided lifesaving assistance following a single-vehicle crash March 23, 2020, near Toledo, Ohio. The group was returning to the unit readiness center in Walbridge, Ohio, following a day supporting operations at the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank, and after witnessing the accident, stopped to assist the driver, move her to safety away from the wreckage and work to revive and care for her until first responders could arrive.
Photo by Tech. Sgt. Shane Hughes, 178th Wing
Guard member ‘serving a greater purpose’
First Lt. Justin Rainier, a logistics readiness officer with the 178th Wing, conducts a briefing March 23, 2020, at the Defense Supply Center in Columbus, Ohio. Ranier, whose job during Operation Steady Resolve is to gather intelligence information for Guard personnel working at 12 regional food banks around the state, said the Guard must step in and help ensure that people’s basic needs are met to help keep the community safe and healthy. “We’re serving a greater purpose,” he said. “Everything we’re doing is to try and save lives.”
Photo by Staff Sgt. Amber Mullen, 178th Wing
Dayton-area food bank gets needed boost from its National Guard neighbors
Cpl. Harold Owens Jr., a team leader assigned to the 837th Engineer Battalion, pushes a cart of boxes packed with food March 27, 2020, at The Foodbank, Inc. in Dayton, Ohio. Owens is one of the 25 Soldiers serving at The Foodbank, Inc. on state active duty to help with food packaging and distribution to local community members in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo by Tech. Sgt. Shane Hughes, 178th Wing
Doctor helps keep Guard members safe to serve
Lt. Col. Gary Katz, a flight surgeon with the 178th Wing serving on Joint Task Force 37, briefs commanders March 23, 2020, at the Defense Supply Center in Columbus, Ohio. Katz’s role on JTF-37 is to review medical reports and advise commanders on how to safeguard their personnel, while they perform humanitarian missions on state active duty in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “My job is to ensure that everyone is adhering to these guidelines, so they don't transmit the virus to themselves or others,” Katz said.
Photo by Staff Sgt. Amber Mullen, 178th Wing
178th Wing analysts collecting critical information during COVID-19 response
Senior Airman Elise, an analyst assigned to the 178th Wing, analyzes a map of Ohio counties March 30, 2020, at the Defense Supply Center in Columbus, Ohio. The Airman is serving on Joint Task Force 37, collecting data on COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and available hospital resources across the state, as well as providing weather and route information for the JTF-37 task forces supporting local food banks at 12 locations across Ohio, serving more than 11 million Ohioans in all 88 counties.