Ohio troops deploy without traditional fanfare from hometown crowd

by: Talia Naquin

Posted: Jun 16, 2020 / 11:01 AM EDT / Updated: Jun 16, 2020 / 05:04 PM EDT

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CANTON, Ohio (WJW) – Duty calls at all times. Troops are deployed in the face of danger and in a pandemic.

That is the case Tuesday for 100 Ohio National Guard Troops.

Company B, 3^rd Battalion, 238^th Aviation Regiment located in North Canton held a deployment ceremony without the public, who is typically welcome to attend to support soldiers.

Because of concerns about COVID-19, the event instead was streamed by the Ohio National Guard. (Watch Dave Nethers’ report in the video, above.)

They’re headed out on a yearlong deployment in support of U.S. Central Command.

The command headquarters is at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.

Two-hundred more Ohio National Guard troops based out of Columbus will receive a virtual deployment Wednesday.