COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio National Guard leaders received COVID-19 vaccinations at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base on Jan. 9 to encourage Soldiers and Airmen to be vaccinated.
Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio adjutant general, was one of the first in line to get his dose of the Moderna vaccine provided by the Department of Defense and administered by Airmen from the 121st Medical Group.
“This is a matter of readiness for us. When we call you, I need you to be ready,” Harris said. “This is a matter of protecting the force. Protect yourself, protect your family, but, most importantly, live your Air Force and Army values and be ready. It’s our responsibility.”
Maj. Gen. James Camp, Ohio assistant adjutant general for air, and Chief Master Sgt. Heidi Bunker, Ohio Air National Guard state command chief master sergeant, were also vaccinated.
“If we can’t get more people vaccinated, sooner rather than later, we’re going to be dealing with the COVID-19 environment for quite a while,” Camp said. “The longer we have to mitigate COVID-19 and conduct operational missions at the same time, it’s going to hamper readiness.”
While getting the vaccine is voluntary, Guard members will continue to follow all public health standards issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Ohio Department of Health.
The Department of Defense is allocating doses of the vaccine to Soldiers and Airmen performing full-time duty under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code while supporting the state’s COVID-19 pandemic response.