The Ohio Military Reserve, one of the three key components of the Ohio State Defense Force, continues to play a vital role in strengthening Ohio’s ability to respond to emergencies and disasters. The Ohio State Defense Force is composed of multiple specialized elements designed to provide comprehensive support across a wide range of mission sets. Among them includes The Ohio Naval Militia, The Ohio Cyber Reserve (Civilian) and The Ohio Military Reserve and to form a unified force capable of operating across land, maritime, and cyber domains.
This structure allows Ohio to maintain a highly adaptable and capable force. The Ohio Military Reserve performs many of the missions most commonly associated with State Defense Forces nationwide, including the establishment and operation of Point of Distribution sites during statewide emergencies. These operations proved especially critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, when rapid delivery of food, medical supplies, and protective equipment was essential to communities across the state who experienced empty shelves at their local supermarkets. Beyond logistics, the Ohio Military Reserve also conducts Search and Rescue operations, supports Cyber Defense initiatives, and utilizes Drone Reconnaissance to provide real-time aerial intelligence to Emergency Operations Centers. These drone capabilities have become increasingly important, offering immediate visibility into disaster zones, including flooding, infrastructure damage, and evacuation requirements.
In March, the Ohio Military Reserve conducted its Annual Training, reinforcing its operational readiness through a series of complex and realistic exercises. A key highlight of this training occurred on March 5, 2025, when the Ohio Military Reserve participated in a full-scale Logistics Staging Area (LSA) exercise at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base. This exercise, organized by the Ohio Emergency Management Agency in coordination with the Ohio Public Private Partnership, brought together a wide array of public and private organizations to simulate the establishment and operation of a critical disaster response hub.
During the exercise, the Ohio Military Reserve was tasked with setting up and fully operating the Logistics Staging Area. This included complete site buildout, checkpoint operations, vehicle flow management, and the tracking of all incoming and outgoing resources. Their performance demonstrated the unit’s ability to rapidly establish and manage a fully functional logistics hub, an essential capability during real-world disaster response operations, where speed and coordination directly impact lives. In an actual emergency, the Ohio Military Reserve would be requested by the Ohio Emergency Management Agency through the Ohio National Guard, highlighting their integration within the state’s broader emergency response framework.
The full-scale exercise featured extensive collaboration with both government and private sector partners. Organizations such as the Central Ohio Transit Authority, DHL Logistics, Walmart, Kroger, OH811, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, Disaster Aid USA, and the Columbus Airport provided vehicles and logistical support throughout the eight-hour operation. This created a realistic environment to test communication, coordination, and resource movement under operational conditions. Additional coordination at security entry control points included K-9 operations conducted in partnership with base personnel, the Columbus Airport Authority, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
This exercise also marked a continued partnership with the Central Ohio Transit Authority, which previously supported Ohio Military Reserve operations during Operation Vigilant Guard 2019 by transporting personnel. Their return for this year’s exercise further underscores the strength of Ohio’s public private partnerships, which are essential to large scale disaster response efforts. Support from organizations like Ohio Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, which provided meals to participants, further demonstrated the collaborative nature of emergency preparedness across the state.
During Annual Training, members of the Ohio Military Reserve had the incredible opportunity to meet and speak with not only with Adjutant General of Ohio, Major General Matthew S. Woodruff, but also The Governor of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. Their visit highlighted the importance of the Ohio Military Reserve’s mission and reinforced the state’s commitment to maintaining a ready and capable force prepared to respond at a moment’s notice.
The successful execution of this Logistics Staging Area exercise not only strengthened operational capabilities but also reinforced the critical partnerships necessary for effective statewide emergency response. By integrating military personnel with civilian agencies and private sector partners, Ohio continues to build a resilient and coordinated response network capable of handling large scale incidents.
The Ohio State Military Reserve and Ohio State Defense Force have truly become an incredible resource and reliable asset to the Ohio National Guard and the State of Ohio in recent years. Since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the country, they have performed a wide range of missions, from augmenting county jail facilities facing staffing shortages, providing no cost health care to Ohioans who are unable to afford medical services, and playing an integral role in statewide emergency response efforts.
This includes maintaining a dedicated Cyber Reserve Force composed of civilian-certified IT security analysts, engineers, and administrators who work to safeguard the state’s critical infrastructure from malicious actors and nation states seeking to disrupt Ohioans electrical systems, water supply, and even election processes. Additionally, when natural disasters impact communication systems across Ohio, these forces are prepared to deploy backup communications networks, ensuring that the National Guard, Ohio State Defense Force, and local, state, and federal agencies can continue to communicate effectively and coordinate response operations.
StateDefenseForce.com congratulates The Ohio Military Reserve, especially its leadership led by Colonel (OH) Gary D. Lehman, on a successful Annual Training and recognizes all the soldiers who took part in this demanding and essential exercise. We thank them for their service to Ohio and for ensuring that our country stands ready, no matter the threat.
OHMR AT26: Logistics Staging Area
On March 5, 2025, the Ohio Military Reserve Again Performs their Logistics Staging Area (LSA) Mission in a Full-scale Exercise at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base.
On March 5, 2025, the Ohio Military Reserve (OHMR) participated in a full scale Logistics Staging Area (LSA) exercise held at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base. The Ohio Emergency Management Agency, in cooperation with the Ohio Public Private Partnership (OP3), brought together public and private organizations to practice establishing and operating an LSA—an essential disaster response hub used to receive, stage, and deploy critical resources to affected communities.
The OHMR set up and operated the LSA during this full-scale exercise. This included site buildout, checkpoint operations, vehicle flow, and the tracking of all resources moving in and out of the LSA—showcasing their ability to quickly establish a fully functional logistics hub during disaster response operations. In a real disaster the Ohio EMA would request the OHMR through the Ohio National Guard.
Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), DHL Logistics, Walmart, Kroger, OH811, Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP), Ohio Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (OSBDR), Disaster Aid USA, and the Columbus Airport provided the vehicle support for this eight hour full scale exercise, creating a hands on opportunity to test communication, coordination, and resource movement. Additionally, RANGB worked in conjunction with the Columbus Airport Authority and the OSHP to work their K-9 units at the entry access point.
This event marked the second time COTA has supported the OHMR in an LSA full-scale exercise. During Vigilant Guard 2019, COTA also provided transportation for OHMR personnel to and from RANGB. COTA takes great pride in supporting military members and veterans, and for this year’s exercise, both COTA buses proudly displayed their specially marked graphics recognizing that commitment. Additionally, and through a public private partnership, OSBDR provided meals for all participants.
This exercise strengthened Ohio’s emergency response partnerships and improved statewide preparedness for large scale incidents requiring rapid and effective logistics operations.
OHMR Welcomes Maj. Gen. Matthew S. Woodruff, Ohio Adjutant General to Annual Training 2026!
OHMR Annual Training 2026…if it ain’t raining it ain’t training!
OHMR Service Members arrive Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base for AT26 Logistics Staging Area exercise.
Training to strengthen Ohio’s emergency preparedness
Ohio Military Reserve members conduct homeland threat and emergency preparedness training at the Col. Robert Haubrich Armory in Columbus, Ohio, March 7, 2026. During the training, OHMR members recertified their ability to operate community points of distribution while working alongside the Ohio Emergency Management Agency Logistics Branch and partners from the American Red Cross, Ohio Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster and Ohio Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, highlighting whole community coordination during emergency response.
Sources: Ohio Military Reserve – Governor Mike DeWine – Ohio National Guard
