DeWine activates Ohio Military Reserve to help with tornado cleanup

Tornado damage debris fills this Harrison Twp. neighborhood off Wagner Ford Rd. where ODOT workers were hauled away many dump truck loads on Wednesday. TY GREENLEES / STAFF

Tornado damage debris fills this Harrison Twp. neighborhood off Wagner Ford Rd. where ODOT workers were hauled away many dump truck loads on Wednesday. TY GREENLEES / STAFF

Members of the National Guard’s Ohio Military Reserve will assist with tornado cleanup throughout the Miami Valley.

Gov. Mike DeWine, at the request of the Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency, signed a proclamation to activate the guard. The Ohio Military Reserve will provide two to three personnel for up to 18 weeks to oversee logistics as contractors remove debris from the area.

Fifteen tornadoes tore through Ohio on Memorial Day, killing one person and crippling thousands of buildings and homes.

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“Great progress has been made to recover from the tornadoes that struck our state this spring,” DeWine said in a prepared statement. “We must continue to use all of the resources at our disposal to aid in the recovery efforts, which is why I have signed the proclamation to activate the Ohio Military Reserve to assist in Montgomery County.”

The Ohio Military Reserve is a component of the Ohio organized militia, along with the Ohio National Guard and the Ohio Naval Militia, and the governor is commander in chief. It is based in Columbus and has 220 members who may be called by the governor, according to the organization.

“This is a perfect mission for the Ohio Military Reserve, as they train every month on logistical support to be ready at a moment’s notice when their fellow Ohioans need help,” said Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio adjutant general.

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