1 / 18Show Caption +Hide Caption – Spc. Ethan Lutkus (left) and Pvt. Mitchell Sunyak, both of the Ohio Army National Guard’s 1192nd Engineer Company, staff a station that distributes touchpads to service members administering COVID-19 vaccines at the Community Vaccination Center at Cleveland State University, March 16, 2021, in Cleveland. The CVC is manned by a team of about 540 Ohio National Guard and active-duty service members, as well as personnel from local, state and federal agencies, and is capable of vaccinating more than 6,000 people per day. (Photo Credit: Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Vega)VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 18Show Caption +Hide Caption – U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen Rebecca O’Connor answers questions from reporters during a press conference at the state-run, federally-supported Community Vaccination Center at Cleveland State University, March 16, 2021, in Cleveland. O’Connor described the cooperation between the Ohio Health Department, U.S. Army, Ohio National Guard, FEMA and other organizations. (Photo Credit: Spc. Jessica Silhavy)VIEW ORIGINAL3 / 18Show Caption +Hide Caption – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine arrive for a visit to the Community Vaccination Center at Cleveland State University, March 16, 2021, in Cleveland. The site CVC is manned by a team of about 540 Ohio National Guard and active-duty service members, as well as personnel from local, state and federal agencies, and is capable of vaccinating more than 6,000 people per day. (Photo Credit: Spc. Jessica Silhavy)VIEW ORIGINAL4 / 18Show Caption +Hide Caption – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine speaks about vaccine operations during a press conference at the state-run, federally-supported Community Vaccination Center at Cleveland State University, March 16, 2021, in Cleveland. The CVC is manned by a team of about 540 Ohio National Guard and active-duty service members, as well as personnel from local, state and federal agencies, and is capable of vaccinating more than 6,000 people per day. (Photo Credit: Spc. Jessica Silhavy)VIEW ORIGINAL5 / 18Show Caption +Hide Caption – Ohio Air National Guard Chief of Staff, Brig. Gen. Rebecca O'Connor, speaks with local, state and civilian authorities during a planning tour at The Wolstein Center in Cleveland on March 9, 2021. The center is scheduled to open as a Community Vaccination Center employing service members under U.S. Northern Command working in direct support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency at the request of the State of Ohio. U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing continued, flexible Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the whole-of-government response to COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Chief Petty Officer Dustin Kelling)VIEW ORIGINAL6 / 18Show Caption +Hide Caption – Ohio Army National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Gen. John Harris speaks with local, state and civilian authorities during a planning tour at The Wolstein Center in Cleveland on March 9, 2021. The center is scheduled to open as a Community Vaccination Center employing service members under U.S. Northern Command working in direct support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency at the request of the State of Ohio. U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing continued, flexible Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the whole-of-government response to COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Chief Petty Officer Dustin Kelling)VIEW ORIGINAL7 / 18Show Caption +Hide Caption – U.S. Army Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, receive training on the vaccine process from FEMA officials at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, March 14, 2021. The Soldiers will be assisting state and local agencies to administer COVID vaccinations at the state-run, federally-supported COVID Community Vaccination Center there. U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing continued, flexible Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the whole-of-government response to COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Robert OSteen)VIEW ORIGINAL8 / 18Show Caption +Hide Caption – Adam Clay, a telecommunications administrator for the Ohio Department of Health, provides technical support to U.S. Army Sgt. Laura Wadsworth, a Canton, Ohio, native and horizontal construction engineer assigned to 112th Engineer Battalion, Ohio National Guard, at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, March 14, 2021. Wadsworth said that she is proud to support the COVID vaccine mission and help save lives. U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing continued, flexible Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the whole-of-government response to COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Robert O'Steen)VIEW ORIGINAL9 / 18Show Caption +Hide Caption – Adam Clay, a telecommunications administrator for the Ohio Department of Health, provides technical support to U.S. Army Spc. Ethan Wutrick, an Akron, Ohio, native and masonry specialist assigned to 112th Engineer Battalion, Ohio National Guard, in Cleveland, Ohio, March 14, 2021. Clay said that he is excited to get the vaccine in the arms of the people in the local community. U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing continued, flexible Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the whole-of-government response to COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Robert O'Steen)VIEW ORIGINAL10 / 18Show Caption +Hide Caption – U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Rebecca O'Connor, dual-status commander for Ohio, describes the layout of the Wolstein Community Vaccination Center to Ohio state legislators in Cleveland, March 15, 2021. The center is capable of administering up to 6,000 vaccines each day. U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing continued, flexible Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the whole-of-government response to COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Robert O'Steen)VIEW ORIGINAL11 / 18Show Caption +Hide Caption – U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen Rebecca O'Connor, Ohio dual-status commander, meets with members of the press outside the Wolstein Community Vaccination Center in Cleveland, March 15, 2021. Media were escorted through the center to provide access for reporters to gather footage before vaccination operations began. U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing continued, flexible Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the whole-of-government response to COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Robert O'Steen)VIEW ORIGINAL12 / 18Show Caption +Hide Caption – U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen Rebecca O'Connor answers questions from reporters during a press conference at the state-run, federally-supported Wolstein Community Vaccination Center in Cleveland, March 16, 2021. O’Connor described the cooperation between the Ohio Health Department, U.S. Army, Ohio National Guard, FEMA, and other organizations. U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing continued, flexible Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the whole-of-government response to COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Robert O'Steen)VIEW ORIGINAL13 / 18Show Caption +Hide Caption – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine speaks about vaccine operations during a press conference at the state-run, federally-supported Wolstein Community Vaccination Center in Cleveland, March 16, 2021. U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen Rebecca O'Connor, right, spoke later during the press conference on behalf of the service members assisting in the operation. U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing continued, flexible Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the whole-of-government response to COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Robert O'Steen)VIEW ORIGINAL14 / 18Show Caption +Hide Caption – U.S. Army Sgt. Randall Lennon, a native of Columbia, South Carolina, and a combat medic with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, talks with a community member while administering a COVID vaccine at the Wolstein Community Vaccination Center in Cleveland, March 20, 2021. Strike Soldiers have given more than 15,000 vaccinations this week. U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing continued, flexible Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the whole-of-government response to COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Jeremy Lewis)VIEW ORIGINAL15 / 18Show Caption +Hide Caption – U.S. Army Spc. Anthony Loyola, a native of Cottage Grove, Minnesota, and a combat medic with 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, administers a COVID vaccine to a community member at Wolstein Community Vaccination Center in Cleveland on March 20, 2021. “I just want to help the country open up again,” Loyola said. “Everyone who comes in here to get vaccinated is making a difference.” U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing continued, flexible Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the whole-of-government response to COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Jeremy Lewis)VIEW ORIGINAL16 / 18Show Caption +Hide Caption – U.S. Army Maj. Gen. John Harris, adjutant general, Ohio National Guard talks with U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Rebecca O’Connor, dual-status commander for the Wolstein Community Vaccination Center in Cleveland March 20, 2021. O’Connor oversees the joint military service members working together to support FEMA with vaccination efforts. U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing continued, flexible Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the whole-of-government response to COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Jeremy Lewis)VIEW ORIGINAL17 / 18Show Caption +Hide Caption – U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen Rebecca is interviewed by a television station at the state-run, federally-supported Community Vaccination Center at Cleveland State University, March 16, 2021, in Cleveland. O’Connor is the dual-status commander in charge of the CVC, which is manned by a team of about 540 Ohio National Guard and active-duty service members, as well as personnel from local, state and federal agencies, and is capable of vaccinating more than 6,000 people per day. (Photo Credit: Spc. Jessica Silhavy)VIEW ORIGINAL18 / 18Show Caption +Hide Caption – U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen Rebecca is interviewed by a television station at the state-run, federally-supported Community Vaccination Center at Cleveland State University, March 16, 2021, in Cleveland. O’Connor is the dual-status commander in charge of the CVC, which is manned by a team of about 540 Ohio National Guard and active-duty service members, as well as personnel from local, state and federal agencies, and is capable of vaccinating more than 6,000 people per day. (Photo Credit: Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Vega)VIEW ORIGINAL
CLEVELAND – The Ohio National Guard is helping vaccinate Cleveland residents at Ohio’s Community Vaccination Center at Cleveland State University to protect lives by stopping the spread of COVID-19.
The Community Vaccination Center (CVC), which is managed by the state of Ohio and supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is staffed by about 540 Ohio National Guard and active-duty service members, as well as people from local, state and federal agencies.
Active-duty forces are providing vaccine support teams to administer vaccines, issue health assessments and check in and guide the public throughout the CVC at CSU’s Wolstein Center. The Ohio National Guard is providing additional personnel to support the mission.
When dealing with an operation this large, keeping the various organizations unified can be difficult. This is when a dual-status commander becomes involved to coordinate and oversee emergency response missions among different military components.
Brig. Gen. Rebecca O’Connor, Ohio Air National Guard chief of staff, was appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine in February as the dual-status commander for Joint Task Force Magnus at the Cleveland CVC. Her role is to provide direction and facilitate communication among the Ohio National Guard members, active-duty forces, and all federal, state and local personnel.
O’Connor has served in several positions at the squadron, group, wing and state headquarters level for more than 30 years.
“This has really been a huge community effort,” she said. “We’ve seen a lot of partnerships come together, not just among the state and federal agencies, but also to include the community.”
Through open communication with everyone involved, O’Connor has improved the CVC to the point that more than 6,000 people are sometimes vaccinated in a day. On April 2, the 100,000th vaccination was administered at the center.
O’Connor said everyone supporting the vaccination distribution mission is continuously coming up with ways to improve the operation.
“They’re the ones who are really making this a success,” she said.
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