Col. Allison Miller became the first woman to command an Ohio Air National Guard wing when she took over at the 179th Airlift Wing in Mansfield this year.
In a story by Senior Airman Megan Shepherd of the 179th, posted on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. Miller said it is an honor to be the first female commander here and by the
“I want to do everything I can to help this wing continue the positive impact that they have in the state of Ohio and the Air National Guard,” Miller said.
She joins the 179th Airlift Wing with a breadth of experience.
Miller joined the Alabama Air National Guard in 1996 and was commissioned through the Academy of Military Science, Knoxville, Tennessee in 1997, earning her commission as a distinguished graduate. Prior to assuming her current position, she served as the Director of Safety for the Air National Guard. She was responsible for managing all ANG Ground, Flight, Weapons, and Space Safety programs for all 90 flying and mission support units encompassing 105,000 members. Miller was the principal advisor to the Director, ANG and the ANG Readiness Center Commander for all safety issues.
That promotion was just one event in a busy year for the Ohio National Guard; here are some of their other accomplishments:
• The Ohio National Guard , as a combat reserve for the U.S. Army and Air Force, deployed more than 800 Soldiers and Airmen in 2018. Locations included the Washington D.C. area, Estonia and Kuwait.
• For the second year in a row, the Ohio National Guard supported hurricane recovery efforts. After hurricanes in North Carolina and Florida, Ohio Guard members helped with imagery analysis, command support, and damage assessment and repair; provided a safe haven for Air Force aircraft from the affected states; and flew in supplies and personnel to the affected areas.
• Closer to home, Citizen-Soldiers deployed twice to help erect floodgates in Portsmouth when the rising Ohio River threatened homes and businesses.
“Whether it was a planned deployment overseas, a rapid response for natural disasters or a large- scale exercise with multinational partners, we successfully completed every mission in support of our communities, state and nation,” said Maj. Gen. Mark E. Bartman, Ohio adjutant general and commander of the Ohio National Guard.
“The reason for our success is our people — each Citizen-Soldier, -Airman and civilian who excelled at their given tasks.”
• Cybersecurity was also a major initiative in 2018. Th e Adjutant General’s Department and the Ohio Department of Higher Education oversaw the opening of Ohio’s first statewide cyber range, a virtual training “sandbox” available for use by schools, governments and businesses to gain proficiency and test on critical cybersecurity competencies.
The Ohio Cyber Collaboration Committee, coordinated by the National Guard, hosted more than 300 students at seven cyber capture the flag events — virtual competitions to solve cybersecurity challenges.
