Senior Master Sgt. Ralph Branson / 121st Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
121st ARW welcomes home deployers
Airmen from the 121st Air Refueling Wing are welcomed home to Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio, May 31, 2026. The returning contingent — which deployed to the Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility — provided vital KC-135 Stratotanker air refueling capabilities for global operations.
Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Moeger / Ohio National Guard Public Affairs
2 former Guard members among 2026 Ohio Military Hall of Fame inductees
Two former Ohio National Guard members were part of the 2026 class inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, May. 1, 2026. Retired Sgt. 1st Class Larry Davidson, who served with the 112th Engineer Battalion and Company B, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), was inducted for his heroic actions during a 2009 ambush in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Capt. Roderick J. MacEachen, who was posthumously inducted, was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action near Ipil, Philippines in June 1945 while serving with the 37th Infantry Division.
Sgt. Karl Mason / 196th Public Affairs Detachment (Mobile)
2026 OHARNG Best Warrior Competition yields top Soldier, noncommissioned officer
Sgt. Zachary Cline, left, a military police noncommissioned officer with the 323rd Military Police Company, and Spc. Mark Filicky, a horizontal construction engineer with the 1192nd Engineer Company, pose for a photo after earning the titles of 2026 Ohio Army National Guard State Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier of the Year, respectively, during the OHARNG Best Warrior Competition at Camp James A. Garfield Joint Military Training Center in Newton Falls, Ohio, April 12, 2026. The state BWC is an annual, multiday, multievent challenge that tests participants’ physical fitness, land navigation skills, weapons marksmanship, military knowledge and mental resiliency.
Staff Sgt. Sarah Stalder Lundgren / 180th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Airman’s journey reflects a blend of grit, grace, purpose
Staff Sgt. Catherine “Katie” Carene didn’t set out to become a trailblazer. But as a previous Air National Guard Outstanding Airman of the Year in the noncommissioned officer category, the fleet management and analysis specialist with the 180th Fighter Wing is now a role model for all and a driving force behind operational excellence.
Ohio National Guard Heritage Center
Maj. Gen. James R. Williams, 92, dies; served 42 years in Ohio ARNG
The Ohio National Guard remembers retired Maj. Gen. James R. Williams, 92, of Copley, Ohio, who passed away July 23, 2026. He served 42 years in the Ohio ARNG, from 1952 until his retirement in 1994, with assignments including commander, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry; commanding general, 73rd Infantry Brigade; and deputy commander, State Area Command (STARC). His civilian career included time at the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, where he retired as the agency director.
Staff Sgt. Samantha Aguridakis / Joint Force Headquarters-Ohio Public Affairs
1-137th Aviation Regiment conducts airborne support operations
UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crew members from Company B, 1st Battalion, 137th Aviation Regiment conduct airborne support operations with the 412th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The training improved coordination between units and strengthened their capabilities to rapidly insert forces in support of complex missions.