April 21 – Governor of Ohio. Mike DeWine expressed opposition to a move to withdraw units from the National Guard to include them in the US Space Force.
The Air Force sent a legislative proposal to Congress last month that would exempt the service from obtaining governors’ consent before changing National Guard units, moving 14 units with space missions into the Air National Guard to Space Force.
DeWine wrote to President Joe Biden opposing the move.
“As commander in chief of the Ohio National Guard, I retain responsibility for these military organizations and their missions,” DeWine wrote in a statement released Friday afternoon. “Usurping this power would be unprecedented, and I respectfully ask you not to do so.
“Every member of the Ohio National Guard takes an oath not only to the United States of America, but also to Ohio,” the governor added. “I honor their dual commitment by ensuring that all members of the Ohio National Guard can serve in the communities where they live, work and raise their families. When called, they are ready to deploy , anytime and anywhere.”
Dubbed “Legislative Proposition 480,” the proposal would federalize Guard units, including Ohio National Guard units, into the Space Force and give the Secretary of the Air Force discretion to move soldiers or eliminate units.
In his letter to Biden, DeWine said the proposal undermines the intent of the Militia Act of 1903 and circumvents the authority of governors.
“There is no intention to displace anyone,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told senators last week. “There are some concerns that I think are overblown. People will essentially benefit from stability if they transition.”
DeWine highlighted what his statement called his “comprehensive support for U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force missions and encouraged the federal government to consider alternative methods of calling on the Ohio National Guard to support these missions.
“This decision represents a significant federal overreach that should concern both governors and federal legislators,” wrote Francis M. McGinn, president of the United States National Guard Association, in a recent editorial published by the Breaking Defense website. “This is an attempt to circumvent the long-standing authority granted by Congress to governors, requiring their consent before National Guard units can be withdrawn from their states.”
The 2024 Defense Budget and Policy bill required the Air Force to consider creating a separate National Guard component for the Space Force.
There are approximately 1,000 space-focused Air Guard members serving full- and part-time in Ohio, New York, Florida, Hawaii, Colorado and other states, according to the National Guard United States Association.
