Thanks to the Columbus Dispatch for printing my letter to the editor today. As a former Army Brigade commander and member of the standing CBRNE emergency response task force, I was shocked to learn the details of how Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is deploying the Ohio Guard.
The printed letter is linked here at the Columbus Dispatch.
The text of the letter I wrote follows:
Bring our Guard home
The most dangerous aspect of Gov. Mike DeWine’s decision to send the Ohio National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., is deliberately excluding any soldiers who are law enforcement officers from the deployment roster. In effect, this means the company size element will start as non-mission capable due to their lack of law enforcement and defense support to civil authorities training.No matter what size element, Ohio National Guard units should never be deployed without mission-specific training. As a former Army Brigade commander and member of the standing CBRNE emergency response task force, I was shocked to learn the Ohio Guard was being used this way.
In addition, the new element has not been certified or validated for domestic operations by U.S. Fifth Army/U.S. Northern Command.There is a bipartisan consensus among state legislators to support Guard military readiness.
From 2019 to 2024, I served as the representative of the entire Ohio General Assembly to the National State Legislature Veterans Caucus. Because I believe our Guard soldiers and their families deserve better, I’m speaking up for those who can’t, asking that our state’s political leadership bring the Guard home as soon as possible.
-Adam Miller