Ohio Naval Militia
Encyclopedia
The Ohio Naval Militia is an organized, unarmed unit that has been serving the State of Ohio
and the United States since 1896. It is the naval arm of the State of Ohio's Adjutant General
's Department, and is therefore part of Ohio's State Defense Forces
.
Their operational headquarters are on the Ohio National Guard
's Camp Perry
Training Site, in Port Clinton, Ohio
, on the shores of Lake Erie
.
Members, who range from 17-67 years old, drill one weekend a month and a couple of long weekends in the summer. From the month of April, through October, the drills consist primarily of patrolling the impact area of Lake Erie immediately adjacent to the Camp Perry's firing range.
providing for the organization of two battalions to be known as the Naval Brigade
of the National Guard of Ohio. Without funds for outfitting or maintenance, they mustered in Toledo
in July and through further organization, one battalion
was located in Cleveland
and one in Toledo.
In 1898, the United States Congress
declared war against Spain. In an effort to get Spain out of Cuba
, President William McKinley
was authorized to use all land and naval forces, as well as militia to enforce Congressional demands. At this time, the naval forces in the State of Ohio became the Ohio Naval Militia (ONM). The Ohio Naval Militia participated in the war, fighting as part of the 10th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
The ONM later purchased the old revenue cutter Andrew Johnson, which was refitted accordingly. The U.S. Navy also assigned the to train naval militias on the Great Lakes
. The first training was at Johnson's Island
in Sandusky Bay
in July 1897.
On 20 April 1917 the Ship's Company at Cleveland, part of the ONM, was the first Ohio National Guard unit activated for service in the First World War
In 1936, a new Naval Militia Armory, located in Bayview Park in Toledo and built by the WPA
was dedicated. It served the needs of the ONM until 1947 when it was taken over by the newly-formed U.S. Naval Reserve.
The ONM was deactivated following World War II, and remained so for nearly 30 years. In 1974, the former Lieutenant Governor, John W. Brown
began the process of reactivating the Ohio Naval Militia; and on November 1, 1977 the ONM was reactivated with John W. Brown as the first commandant.
Their active mission is to patrol the government impact area off Camp Perry, in the waters of Lake Erie. It is a live-fire area that requires keeping pleasure boaters and fishermen from entering. By patrolling the impact area, the ONM provides support for the Ohio National Guard and other State and Federal military units as they perform weapons qualifications prior to deploying.
By conducting continuous training on their boats and in the classroom, members have the opportunity to become coxswains (boat operators) and boat crew. ONM members also receive basic boating education training to prepare for certification by the Ohio Division of Watercraft. They teach basic navigation, radio communications, boat handling, maintenance, boating safety, and boating support functions. All ONM training hours are documented and can be applied toward obtaining a captain's license from the U.S. Coast Guard.
chapters 5921 and 5923. Being a naval-type unit, the rank structure, uniforms, customs, etc. are patterned after that of the U.S. Navy.
On 14 July 2010, Major General Gregory L. Wayt, Adjutant General of Ohio has appointed Captain David E. Kissel as Commandant of the Ohio Naval Militia with the rank of Rear Admiral, Lower Half; effective 0001 August 1, 2010.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and the United States since 1896. It is the naval arm of the State of Ohio's Adjutant General
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
's Department, and is therefore part of Ohio's State Defense Forces
State Defense Forces
State defense forces in the United States are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government; they are partially regulated by the National Guard Bureau but they are not a part of the Army National Guard of the United States...
.
Their operational headquarters are on the Ohio National Guard
Ohio National Guard
The Ohio National Guard comprises:* Ohio Army National Guard* Ohio Air National Guard-External links:* compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History...
's Camp Perry
Camp Perry
Camp Perry is a National Guard training facility located on the shore of Lake Erie in northern Ohio near Port Clinton. In addition to its regular mission as a military training base, Camp Perry also boasts the largest outdoor rifle range in the world...
Training Site, in Port Clinton, Ohio
Port Clinton, Ohio
Port Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,056 at the 2010 census. The city has been nicknamed the "Walleye Capital of the World."...
, on the shores of Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
.
Members, who range from 17-67 years old, drill one weekend a month and a couple of long weekends in the summer. From the month of April, through October, the drills consist primarily of patrolling the impact area of Lake Erie immediately adjacent to the Camp Perry's firing range.
History
On March 1, 1896, an act was passed by the Ohio General AssemblyOhio General Assembly
The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate...
providing for the organization of two battalions to be known as the Naval Brigade
Naval Brigade
A Naval Brigade is a body of sailors serving in a ground combat role to augment land forces.-Royal Navy:Within the Royal Navy, a Naval Brigade is a large temporary detachment of Royal Marines and of seamen from the Royal Navy formed to undertake operations on shore, particularly during the mid- to...
of the National Guard of Ohio. Without funds for outfitting or maintenance, they mustered in Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
in July and through further organization, one battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
was located in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
and one in Toledo.
In 1898, the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
declared war against Spain. In an effort to get Spain out of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, President William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
was authorized to use all land and naval forces, as well as militia to enforce Congressional demands. At this time, the naval forces in the State of Ohio became the Ohio Naval Militia (ONM). The Ohio Naval Militia participated in the war, fighting as part of the 10th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
The ONM later purchased the old revenue cutter Andrew Johnson, which was refitted accordingly. The U.S. Navy also assigned the to train naval militias on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. The first training was at Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island is a island in Sandusky Bay, located on the coast of Lake Erie, 3 miles from the city of Sandusky, Ohio. It was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp for Confederate officers captured during the American Civil War. Johnson's Island was the only Union prison exclusively for Southern...
in Sandusky Bay
Sandusky Bay
Sandusky Bay is a body of water situated in between Erie, Ottawa, and Sandusky counties in the U.S. state of Ohio and just to the south of Lake Erie. Sandusky Bay runs from Muddy Creek Bay to Cedar Point, which is part of Sandusky....
in July 1897.
On 20 April 1917 the Ship's Company at Cleveland, part of the ONM, was the first Ohio National Guard unit activated for service in the First World War
In 1936, a new Naval Militia Armory, located in Bayview Park in Toledo and built by the WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
was dedicated. It served the needs of the ONM until 1947 when it was taken over by the newly-formed U.S. Naval Reserve.
The ONM was deactivated following World War II, and remained so for nearly 30 years. In 1974, the former Lieutenant Governor, John W. Brown
John William Brown
John William Brown was a Republican politician from Ohio. He briefly served as the 58th Governor of Ohio from January 3, 1957 to January 14, 1957 and served as the 51st and 54th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio....
began the process of reactivating the Ohio Naval Militia; and on November 1, 1977 the ONM was reactivated with John W. Brown as the first commandant.
Mission
The ONM assists in natural disasters or other emergencies, as called upon by the governor or the Adjutant General.Their active mission is to patrol the government impact area off Camp Perry, in the waters of Lake Erie. It is a live-fire area that requires keeping pleasure boaters and fishermen from entering. By patrolling the impact area, the ONM provides support for the Ohio National Guard and other State and Federal military units as they perform weapons qualifications prior to deploying.
By conducting continuous training on their boats and in the classroom, members have the opportunity to become coxswains (boat operators) and boat crew. ONM members also receive basic boating education training to prepare for certification by the Ohio Division of Watercraft. They teach basic navigation, radio communications, boat handling, maintenance, boating safety, and boating support functions. All ONM training hours are documented and can be applied toward obtaining a captain's license from the U.S. Coast Guard.
Organization
The Ohio Naval Militia is an organized, unarmed, all volunteer unit, which serves under the direction of the Governor of the State of Ohio as Commander in Chief through the office of the Adjutant General. They are governed by Ohio Revised CodeOhio Revised Code
The Ohio Revised Code contains all acts passed by the Ohio General Assembly and signed by the governor. The Ohio Revised Code replaced the Ohio General Code in 1953. However the current organization and form of the Ohio Revised Code Title 29 was completely re-written and issued into law by the...
chapters 5921 and 5923. Being a naval-type unit, the rank structure, uniforms, customs, etc. are patterned after that of the U.S. Navy.
On 14 July 2010, Major General Gregory L. Wayt, Adjutant General of Ohio has appointed Captain David E. Kissel as Commandant of the Ohio Naval Militia with the rank of Rear Admiral, Lower Half; effective 0001 August 1, 2010.
Headquarters Staff:
Commandant - RDML David E. Kissel
Chief of Staff - CAPT John F. Jackson
Inspector GeneralInspector GeneralAn Inspector General is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is Inspectors General.-Bangladesh:...
- CAPT Bethany M. Carpenter
Chaplain - LCDR Kempton D. Baldridge
Judge Advocate GeneralJudge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. NavyThe Judge Advocate General's Corps also known as the "JAG Corps" or "JAG" is the legal arm of the United States Navy. Today, the corps consists of a worldwide organization of more than 730 Judge Advocates, 30 limited duty officers , 500 enlisted members and nearly 275 civilian personnel, serving...
(JAG) - LT Mark Froehlich, J.D.
Operations Officer - CDR Rodger J. Joye
Personnel Officer - CDR James W. Higgins
Security Officer - CDR Jay S. Garcia
Recruiting & Retention Officer - LTJG Charles A. Dyer
Ship's Company One:
Commanding OfficerCommanding officerThe commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
- LCDR Lawrence C. Palmer
Executive OfficerExecutive officerAn executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
- LT William McNally
Deck Department Division Officer (Acting) - BMC(SW/DV) Clifford W. Stewart
Engineering Department Division Officer - LTJG Charles A Dyer
Medical Service Officer - LT Richard G. Wagner
Mission Support Officer (Acting)- LS3 Thomas T. Thomas
Leading Chief Petty Officer - UTCSCoordinated Universal TimeCoordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
David Green
Leading Petty Officer - EM1(SW) Robert Feldt