2024 HIGHLIGHTS
Senior Airman Colin Simpson / 178th Wing Public Affairs
Ohio ANG recruiter first in history to achieve 700 accessions
Master Sgt. Todd Parkison, currently the production superintendent with the 121st Air Refueling Wing and an Air National Guard recruiter for the past 13 years, recently completed his 700th Airman accession, the first in National Guard history to achieve this milestone.
12.10.24 ~ OHANG
Staff Sgt. Thomas Moeger / Ohio National Guard Public Affairs
Air National Guard Athlete of Year trains to compete on world stage
Maj. Tim Gribble, executive officer for the Ohio assistant adjutant general for Air and a member of the National Guard Endurance Team, placed seventh in his age group in the 2024 DEKA World Championship in Ocala, Florida, Dec. 13, 2024. At the beginning of 2024, Gribble was named the 2023 Air National Guard Athlete of the Year.
Staff Sgt. Alyssa Reik / 179th Cyberspace Wing Public Affairs
179th CW Airmen gel during ANG Cyber High-Performance Training
Members of the 179th Cyberspace Wing participated in a weeklong ANG Cyber High-Performance Training session in San Antonio in November 2024. The ANG Cyber HPT program is an intensive training experience designed for advanced cyber operators and leaders, targeting performance optimization and next generation capabilities for the modern cyber warrior. Throughout the training, Airmen were able to share experiences with colleagues and with some of the world’s leading experts in human performance.
Staff Sgt. Jill Maynus / Ohio National Guard Public Affairs
Air defender, honor guard trainer, goes viral on social media
Staff Sgt. Trey Davidson, a security forces defender with the 121st Air Refueling Wing, has taken social media by storm. Davidson, the lead trainer for the Ohio Air National Guard Honor Guard, has garnered a large social media following after he started posting a series of videos showcasing his unique rifle spinning talents.
Sgt. Olivia Lauer / 196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Band performs at Bengals 2024 Salute to Service
Members of the Ohio National Guard’s 122nd Army Band perform at the Bengals Salute to Service game at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Nov. 3, 2024. The 122nd Army Band provides musical support for military ceremonies, in addition to community concerts, parades and other public events to promote and build support for the U.S. military.
11.01.24 ~ OHANG
Sgt. Olivia Lauer / Ohio National Guard Public Affirs
Ohio ANG conducts promotion ceremony for Brig. Gen. Francisco J. Dominguez
Brig. Gen. Francisco J. Dominguez, deputy assistant adjutant general for Air, is officially promoted to brigadier general during a ceremony at Springfield-Beckley Air National Guard base in Springfield, Ohio, Nov. 1, 2024. Dominguez has served as the Ohio deputy assistant adjutant general for Air since February 2024.
Master Sgt. Brian Ellison / 126th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
200th RED HORSE provides expertise during Polish air base site planning surveys
Members of the 200th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers supported an expeditionary site planning survey that assessed Polish air bases and airports on their capabilities and runway strength for potential future use by U.S., allied and partner forces.
Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy / National Guard Bureau Public Affairs
Ohio Army National Guard aircrews assist with Hurricane Helene response ops
Soldiers with the Ohio Army National Guard's 3rd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment conduct a food and water distribution mission in western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Oct. 4, 2024. National Guard units from 17 states have responded to areas impacted by the storm and have been taking part in food and water distribution, search and rescue, debris clearance and other tasks as needed.
Senior Master Sgt. Ralph Branson / 121st Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
Ohio National Guard Airmen deploy to North Carolina to support Hurricane Helene recovery efforts
Airmen with the 121st Air Refueling Wing's Fatality Search and Recover Team, part of the Ohio Homeland Response Force, prepare to deploy to North Carolina in support of Hurricane Helene recovery efforts, at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 1, 2024. The unit will provide unique critical response capabilities, answering the call from a state in need.
09.23.24 ~ OHANG | CAMP PERRY
Master Sgt. Joseph Harwood / 179th Cyberspace Wing Public Affairs
2024 Leadership Symposium unites Ohio Air National Guard
The 2024 Ohio Air National Guard Leadership Symposium took place in September at Camp Perry Joint Training Center in Port Clinton, Ohio, drawing more than 110 noncommissioned officers and company grade officers from all wings and geographically separated units for three days of intensive professional development and readiness training.
PHOTOS: 1, 2, 3, 4 | STORY | VIDEOS 1, 2
09.20.24 ~ OHANG | 178TH WING
Senior Airman Colin Simpson / 178th Wing Public Affairs
123rd Air Control Squadron strengthens alliances in 4th NATO training exercise
Airmen assigned to the 123rd Air Control Squadron stand alongside military service members from the United Kingdom, Estonia, Lithuania and Hungary during a joint training exercise in Blue Ash, Ohio, Sept. 20, 2024. The training included air battle management, ground control intercept, large-force employment and air-to-air combat beyond visual range.
Maj. Steven M. Modugno / 20th CBRNE Command Public Affairs
52nd Civil Support Team part of large-scale Exercise Toxic Buckeye
The U.S. military’s premier Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) Command trained Sept 16-20, 2024, with nearly 300 personnel from 52 federal, state, local and private industry partners during Exercise Toxic Buckeye in Ohio and West Virginia. The exercise simulated responses to a trio of emergencies — a U.S. Army helicopter crash, an airplane crash and an accident involving a ground convoy carrying Schedule 1 chemical surety material.
Sgt. Olivia Lauer / Ohio National Guard Public Affairs
Ohio National Guard leaders conduct annual State Partnership Program capstone visit
An Ohio National Guard delegation, led by Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio adjutant general, spent a week visiting Hungary and Serbia as part of the annual State Partnership Program capstone event, Sept. 15-22, 2024. This trip included meetings with each partner country’s key military and political leaders, which addressed achievements from the previous year and outlined mutual goals for the future.
PHOTOS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | STORY | VIDEO
09.14.24 ~ OHARNG | CAMP PERRY
Spc. Max Elliott / 196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Warrant Officer Cohort conducts annual muster
Members of the Ohio Army National Guard Warrant Officer Cohort gathered during their yearly warrant officer muster, part of the 2024 OHARNG Army Leadership Conference at Camp Perry Joint Training Center in Port Clinton, Ohio, Sept. 14, 2024. The annual conference brings together leaders at the company, battalion, brigade and general staff echelons to provide professional development, senior leader guidance and updates to the force.
09.14.24 ~ OHARNG
Sgt. Katherine Slayman / 196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Soldiers vie for titles during 2024 Ohio Army National Guard Combatives Tournament
Competitors grapple to be the best during the 2024 Ohio Army National Guard Combatives Tournament at Camp Perry Joint Training Center in Port Clinton, Ohio, Sept. 14, 2024. The U.S. Army Combatives Program enhances readiness by building Soldiers' personal courage, confidence and resiliency as well as their situational responsiveness to close-quarters threats in the operational environment.
09.13.24 ~ OHNG | CAMP PERRY
Spc. Carleeann Smiddy / 196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
OHNG members compete in The Adjutant General’s 2024 Combat Rifle and Pistol Championship
Ohio National Guard Soldiers and Airmen fire down range during The Adjutant General's 2024 Combat Rifle and Pistol Championship at Camp Perry Joint Training Center in Port Clinton, Ohio, Sept. 13, 2024. The annual competition tests the marksmanship skills of both Army and Air National Guard members, emphasizing the importance of accuracy and discipline.
09.13.24 ~ OHARNG
Spc. Max Elliott / 196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Command teams converge at 2024 OHARNG Army Leadership Conference
Commanders, senior noncommissioned officers and key staff personnel attend the 2024 Ohio Army National Guard Army Leadership Conference at Camp Perry Joint Training Center in Port Clinton, Ohio, Sept. 13, 2024. The annual event provided attendees with the assistant adjutant general for Army’s strategic vision and encouraged them to utilize critical thinking and analysis when leading their units.
Airman 1st Class Camren Ray / 180th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
180th FW Airmen complete ACE stress test
Airmen with the 180th Fighter Wing participate in an Agile Combat Employment stress test in Swanton, Ohio, Sept. 12, 2024. The stress test is meant to push load crew limits and expose any potential vulnerabilities or shortcomings that need improved. The load crew was trained for 40 hours prior to the stress test.
Airman Kylie Davidson / 179th Cyberspace Wing Public Affairs
Airman competes in Miss Ohio Scholarship Program
Staff Sgt. Grace Riegel, a public affairs specialist at the 179th Cyberspace Wing, competed for Miss Ohio in Mansfield, Ohio, June 8-15, 2024. The Miss Ohio Scholarship Program consists of five phases of competition: private interview, onstage question, health and fitness, talent and evening gown.
08.21.24 ~ OHNG
Carleeann Smiddy / Ohio National Guard Public Affairs
Ohio Adjutant General's Department recognizes 2024 State Employee of Year
Pamela Marsh, a maintenance repair worker for the Ohio National Guard, receives the Ohio Adjutant General’s Department 2024 State Employee of the Year Award from OHNG senior leadership during the department’s annual town hall meeting at the Ohio State Highway Patrol Training Academy in Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 21, 2024. Marsh has been with the agency for a little over two years and has been a significant contributor at both the Woodlawn and Kettering readiness centers in Southwest Ohio, assisting with the facilities’ maintenance and being a positive influence on workplace morale.
08.10.24 ~ OHNG
Staff Sgt. Amber Mullen-Schweitzer / Ohio National Guard Public Affairs
GuardCare 2024 provides free medical care to citizens of Greene County, Ohio
The Ohio National Guard and other government civilian and military medical professionals partnered with local and state public health agencies to conduct "Greene County GuardCare 2024: Warriors for Health" at the Greene County Career Center in Xenia, Ohio, Aug. 10-11, 2024. During the weekend event, more than 1,000 Ohioans received free, comprehensive medical care including screenings, physicals, immunizations, optometry services, dental care, hearing tests, lab draws, nutrition counseling, mental and behavioral health services, women’s health services and physical therapy.
Senior Airman Nicholas Battani / 180th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OHNG Airmen participate in Exercise Northern Lightning 2024
Ohio Air National Guard Airmen participated in 2024 Northern Lightning alongside more than 1,000 service members from nearly 25 units across the country at the Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center, Aug. 5-18, 2024. During this two-week exercise, OHNG Airmen had the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to integrate with joint forces, focusing on air-to-air and air-to-ground combat, dissimilar aircraft air tactics and offensive and defensive counter air, with realistic surface-to-air and air-to-air threats.
PHOTOS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 | STORIES: 1, 2, 3, 4 | VIDEOS: 1, 2, 3
Staff Sgt. Thomas Moeger / 196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
323rd MP Company participates in Exercise Northern Strike
Soldiers from the 323rd Military Police Company trained on a variety of combat tasks and battle drills this summer as part of as part of Exercise Northern Strike 2024-2 at various locations across Michigan, including Camp Grayling, Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center and Rogers City. Throughout the exercise, the 323rd trained with fellow Ohio Army National Guard unit Company B, 2-19th Special Forces Group.
07.25.24 ~ OHNG | ONG HISTORY
Sgt. Olivia Lauer / Ohio National Guard Public Affairs
Happy Birthday, Ohio National Guard!
The Ohio National Guard was formed in Marietta, Ohio on July 25, 1788, as the Northwest Territory Militia. As we celebrate the Ohio National Guard’s 236th birthday, we take a look back through history at the path that got us here. To all current and previous members of the Ohio National Guard, thank you for your contributions and service to our communities, state and nation
— Always ready, Always there, since 1788!
Tech. Sgt. Alexis Wade / 179th Cyberspace Wing Public Affairs
Side by Side: Father and son share a journey in military service
Senior Master Sgt. Steve Dotson, a bioenvironmental engineering specialist, and his son Staff Sgt. Braydon Dotson, a cyber defense operations specialist, both assigned to the 179th Cyberspace Wing, participate in the Blackfeet Tribal Health - Operation Walking Shield Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) medical mission together at Browning High School in Browning, Mont., July 24, 2024. While they each had different roles at the IRT, both men were extremely grateful to have this opportunity to serve together.
PHOTOS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | STORIES: 1, 2, 3 | VIDEOS: VIDEO VIDEO
06.21.24 ~ OHANG | 178TH WING
Senior Airman Colin Simpson / 178th Wing Public Affairs
From Ohio to Alaska, Airmen unite for advanced space intelligence
Airmen assigned to the Ohio Air National Guard's 126th Intelligence Squadron support and train Airmen and Guardians of the 213th Space Warning Squadron at Clear Space Force Station, Alaska, June 21, 2024. The Polar Surge partnership is a joint effort between the 178th Wing, based in Springfield, Ohio, and the Alaska Air National Guard's 213th SWS to provide space surveillance data to the NORAD Space Control Center.
Sgt. Olivia Lauer / Ohio National Guard Public Affairs
Soldier's final mission to aid fellow veterans led to historic PACT Act legislation
Sgt. 1st Class Heath Robinson, a combat medic in the Ohio Army National Guard and Iraq War veteran, developed a rare autoimmune disease and lung cancer from toxic burn pit exposure overseas. Although he died from his illness in 2020, his veterans advocacy efforts before his passing were a driving force behind the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022, which enables veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits to receive health care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
05.31.24 ~ OHANG | 178TH WING
Airman 1st Class Josh Kaeser / 178th Wing Public Affairs
Airman helps rescue man from submerged vehicle following collision
178th Wing 1st Lt. Paul Dangelo and Champaign County Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher Culler jumped into a pond to save a man from a sinking vehicle after a collision near Springfield, Ohio, May 31, 2024. The two men risked their lives pulling an injured man out of a completely submerged vehicle, going above and beyond their call of duty.
05.19.24 ~ LEADERSHIP | ADJUTANT GENERAL
OHNG Heritage Center Photos/OHNG Graphic
Maj. Gen. Richard C. Alexander, former adjutant general, dies at 88
The Ohio National Guard remembers Maj. Gen. Richard C. Alexander, 88, of Westerville, Ohio, who passed away May 18, 2024. Alexander served as Ohio adjutant general from 1987 to 1998 under Govs. Richard Celeste and George Voinovich. A native of Cleveland, he joined the Ohio National Guard in 1960 after serving in the Marine Corps for four years. He was commissioned in 1965 through Officer Candidate School and worked as a federal technician for the Ohio National Guard. A trailblazer, Alexander was the OHNG’s first race relations and equal opportunity officer, and his appointment as adjutant general made him the first Black general officer and adjutant general in the then nearly 200-year history of the organization.
Senior Airman Ivy Thomas / 121st Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
121st ARW conducts readiness exercise validation to ensure mission capability
The 121st Air Refueling Wing conducted Operation Buckeye Resolve in May 2024 at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio. The three-day, 24/7 basewide exercise demonstrated the wing’s ability to perform various aspects of its mission, including deployment processing, loading and launching aircraft, defending the base, emergency and attack procedures and casualty care.
05.14.24 ~ OHANG | 178TH WING
Senior Airman Colin Simpson / 178th Wing Public Affairs
178th Wing hosts Air Force units from across US during El muster
More than 150 Airmen from 16 engineering installation squadrons across the country participated in a weeklong muster in June 2024 at the 178th Wing in Springfield, Ohio. The muster provided Airmen in the EI career field an opportunity to discuss issues impacting their mission to deliver communications infrastructure and capabilities to support and expand the IT capabilities of the entire Department of Defense and ensure the cyber network necessary for future conflicts.
Senior Airman Nicholas Battani / 180th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
180th FW nurse gives back to her community
Master Sgt. Ashley Young, senior enlisted leader of the 180th Medical Group, was profoundly impacted while serving Ohio’s citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic. A prior operating room nurse, Young has decided to pursue a master’s degree in public health at the University of Toledo while also working as part of a UT multidisciplinary health care team that provides comprehensive HIV/AIDS care services.
Airman 1st Class Sarah Stalder Lundgren / 180th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
180th FW Airman balances military career, school, community service
Senior Airman Nina Van Tassel, an intelligence operations analyst assigned to the Ohio Air National Guard’s 180th Fighter Wing, stands in front of an F-16 fighting Falcon on the flight line at Toledo Air National Guard Base in Swanton, Ohio, April 14, 2024. Van Tassel, a Toledo, Ohio native, uses the Ohio National Guard Scholarship Program to pay for college while she serves her country and volunteers in her community.
04.12.24 ~ OHARNG
Ohio National Guard Heritage Center
Ohio ARNG facility memorialization selections announced
Seven Ohio Army National Guard facilities will be dedicated in honor of former members who valiantly served the nation in the 20th century. The selections were made as part of the Army Memorial Program, which provides a permanent, lasting honor to distinguished personnel who served with valor and distinction.
04.05.24 ~ OHARNG
Spc. Max Elliott / 196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
2024 OHARNG Best Warrior Competition
Seventeen Ohio Army National Guard Soldiers, alongside seven competitors from the Hungarian Defense Forces and Serbian Armed Forces, participated in the 2024 Ohio Army National Guard State Best Warrior Competition at Camp James A. Garfield Joint Military Training Center in Newton Falls, Ohio, April 5-7, 2024. This hype video includes the BWC marksmanship qualifications, weapons skills, the Army Combat Fitness Test, the Expert Physical Fitness Assessment, and the 12-mile ruck march. The video also includes shots of soldiers from Serbia and Hungary competing in the BWC as guests of the Ohio National Guard State Partnership Program.
03.12.24 ~ OHANG | 178TH WING
Airman 1st Class Colin Simpson / 178th Wing Public Affairs
179th Wing marks first MQ-9 Reaper landing during Operation Advanced Wrath
An MQ-9 Reaper assigned to the California Air National Guard’s 163rd Attack Wing was temporarily stationed at Springfield-Beckley Air National Guard Base, Ohio in March 2024 during the Advanced Wrath training exercise, in support of U.S. Special Operations Command. The arrival of the MQ-9 in Springfield marked the first military flight operation conducted at the base in over 13 years.
PHOTOS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | STORY | VIDEOS: 1, 2, 3, 4
spc. Michael Baumberger / 196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Ohio ARNG participates in the 56th Department of the Army Philip A. Connelly culinary competition
Nine Ohio Army National Guard culinary specialists from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 237th Support Battalion and an attachment support team participated in the 56th Department of the Army Philip A. Connelly culinary competition at Camp James A. Garfield Joint Military Training Center in Newton Falls, Ohio, March 2-3, 2024. The PAC culinary competition is the personification of food service excellence executed by culinary specialists, presenting extremely gratifying dining experiences across all Army food service platforms in garrison and field environments.
Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Aleah Castrejon / 196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Ceremony honors retiring Ohio ANG general’s contributions, achievements over 3 decades
Maj. Gen. James R. Camp is honored during a retirement ceremony, culminating more than 30 years of service to the Ohio National Guard and U.S. Air Force, at the at the Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center in Lewis Center, Ohio, Feb. 3, 2024. A command pilot with over 4,000 flying hours and multiple overseas deployments, his most recent assignments were as commander of the Ohio Air National Guard, Ohio assistant adjutant general for Air and commander of the 179th Airlift Wing.
Tech. Sgt. Wendy Kuhn / 121st Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
121st Airmen return from deployment
Airmen from the 121st Air Refueling Wing are welcomed home from an overseas deployment upon their return at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio, Feb. 2, 2024. The 121st Air Refueling Wing provides combat-ready Airmen to provide security and defense of the state and nation.
Spc. Olivia Lauer / 196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Signal company deploys in support of U.S. Central Command
About 30 members of the 1137th Signal Company (Tactical Installation and Networking-Enhanced, or TIN-E), located in Springfield, Ohio, are honored during the unit's call to duty ceremony at the First Christian Church in Springfield, Jan. 12, 2024. While deployed, the Soldiers will provide installation, recovery, repair and maintenance of telecommunications network lines and infrastructure throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
01.06.24 ~ OHANG
180th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ANG recognizes Outstanding Airmen of Year
The 2024 Ohio Air National Guard Outstanding Airmen of the Year winners were announced in January 2024. The selectees have gone above and beyond in the previous year, demonstrating superior leadership, job performance and personal achievement.
Airman of Year:
Senior Airman Gavin Woken, 121st ARW
Noncommissioned Officer of Year:
Tech. Sgt. Austin Bly, 180th FW
Senior NCO of Year:
Master Sgt. David Frashier, 121st ARW
Company Grade Officer of Year:
Capt. Michael Andrewes, 251st CEIG
First Sergeant of Year:
Master Sgt. Samantha Cannon, 121st ARW