Ohio National Guard

The state is now taking applications from civilians with internet and high tech security skills to join a special unit in the Ohio National Guard. The Ohio Cyber Reserve is a group of volunteers that would be trained to handle potential cyber-attacks on the government, infrastructure, or businesses.

Members of the Ohio Cyber Reserve would be on standby, and would be granted leave from work and compensated if called into active duty.

The Ohio House last week approved the creation of a civilian force of ‘cyber-warriors.’

The bill is now headed back to the Senate for a final vote to establish the Ohio Cyber Reserve.

The Ohio National Guard has completed its largest training exercise for emergency response. Camp Garfield in Ravenna and ten other military bases around the state took part in Vigilant Guard from August 5-8.

The training evaluates response to several different emergencies ranging from cyberattacks to natural disasters. Brigadier General Stephen Rhoades said these exercises help them identify gaps in their training.

Starting this weekend, Ohioans may notice a heavy presence of first responders, military personnel, military aircraft, and emergency vehicles in multiple areas throughout Ohio. However, people have no reason to worry.

It’s all part of what Adjutant General John Harris said is the largest disaster response exercise in the state’s history.

“It’s our opportunity to exercise muscles as I like to say – command and controlling forces during events like these but also working with our interagency partners so we aren’t exchanging business cards when an actual event occurs.”

Ohio is collaborating with public- and private-sector groups in a new effort to tackle cyber threats. 

U.S. Air Force Major Gen. Mark Bartman has spent decades protecting the nation from assaults. But most of the newest attacks, he says, "are happening via the Internet, via the cyber world and via people’s keyboards from wherever they happen to be.”

A member of the Ohio Army National Guard who was trusted with transferring the remains of deceased veterans lied about how many trips he made so the state would reimburse him more money.