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The Legislative Service Commission staff updates the Revised Code on an ongoing basis, as it completes its act review of enacted legislation. Updates may be slower during some times of the year, depending on the volume of enacted legislation.

Chapter 5921 | Ohio Naval Militia

 
 
 
Section
Section 5921.01 | Ohio naval militia.
 

The governor shall organize and maintain within this state on a cadre or reserve basis naval forces capable of being expanded and trained to defend this state whenever the Ohio national guard, or a part thereof, is employed so as to leave this state without adequate defense, and whenever necessary to assist and maintain the public peace in case of a disaster or emergency as determined by the governor. Such forces shall not be used in disturbances that are civil in nature, including but not limited to riots and strikes. Such forces shall be known as the Ohio naval militia. Such forces shall be a part of the organized militia of this state. The Ohio naval militia shall consist of not more than three ship companies as provided in sections 5921.02 to 5921.16 of the Revised Code. In case of an emergency proclaimed by the president or the congress of the United States, or caused by enemy action or imminent danger thereof, the governor, as commander in chief, shall expand such forces as the exigency of the occasion requires.

Section 5921.02 | Divisions of naval militia.
 

The Ohio naval militia shall be divided into ship companies and each ship company shall consist of not less than two or more than three divisions.

Section 5921.03 | Officers.
 

Each ship company and each division shall be allowed such commissioned officers, warrant officers, and enlisted members as are prescribed by the department of the navy for similar naval organizations, or as the exigencies of the service require.

Section 5921.04 | Selection and rank - oath of office.
 

Commissioned officers and warrant officers of the Ohio naval militia shall be chosen, commissioned, and take rank as provided for the Ohio national guard, following the regulations and customs of the United States navy.

Commissioned officers and warrant officers of the Ohio naval militia shall take and subscribe to the following oath of office:

"I,____________________, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of Ohio, against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will obey the orders of the governor of the state of Ohio; that I make this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office of __________________ in the Ohio naval militia upon which I am about to enter; and, I do solemnly swear that I do not advocate, nor am I a member of any political party or organization that advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States or of this state by force or violence, so help me God."

Every officer, before being commissioned shall take and subscribe to such oath within ten days after his appointment, and unless he does so he is deemed to have declined his office and the appointment shall be vacated.

All commissioned officers and warrant officers of the Ohio naval militia may administer oaths and affirmations in the discharge of any of the duties pertaining to their offices and in connection with the appointment of officers and the enlistment of members of the Ohio naval militia.

Section 5921.05 | Enlisted members - oath of enlistment.
 

Enlisted members shall be enlisted according to regulations prescribed by the department of the navy for the governing of similar naval organizations.

All persons enlisted in the Ohio naval militia shall sign an enlistment contract and take and subscribe to an oath of enlistment as follows:

"I do hereby acknowledge to have voluntarily enlisted this _______________ day of _______________, __________, as a member of the Ohio naval militia for a period of three years, under the conditions prescribed by law, unless sooner discharged by proper authority. And I do solemnly swear that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the United States of America and to the state of Ohio; that I will serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies whomsoever; and that I will obey the orders of the governor of the state of Ohio and of the officers appointed over me according to law and the rules in accordance therewith."

Section 5921.06 | Uniform.
 

The uniform of the commissioned officers, warrant officers, petty officers and enlisted men of the Ohio naval militia shall be suitable, but not in violation of the laws of the United States or contrary to regulations of the department of the navy.

Section 5921.07 | Drill and instruction.
 

The Ohio naval militia shall assemble for drill and instruction at such times and places and during such periods of time as the governor prescribes.

Section 5921.08 | Tours.
 

Each ship company shall make only such tours of duty afloat or ashore as the governor orders.

Section 5921.09 | U.S. navy regulations and customs.
 

The Ohio naval militia shall be organized, governed, drilled, and instructed in accordance with the regulations and customs provided for the navy of the United States, and Chapter 5924. of the Revised Code, together with the orders of the governor.

Section 5921.10 | Governor may prescribe rules.
 

The governor may prescribe rules not inconsistent with the provisions of law governing the enlistment, organization, administration, equipment, and maintenance of the Ohio naval militia. A copy of such rules shall be kept available to the public in the office of the adjutant general.

Section 5921.11 | Governor may requisition arms, equipment and facilities.
 

The governor may requisition from the department of defense, for the use of the Ohio naval militia, arms and equipment that may be in possession and can be furnished by the department, and make available to the Ohio naval militia the facilities of state armories and their equipment and such other state premises and property that are available.

Section 5921.12 | Federal military service.
 

Sections 5921.01 to 5921.16 of the Revised Code do not authorize the Ohio naval militia, or any part thereof, to be called or ordered as such into the military service of the United States. The naval militia may become a component of the Ohio national guard. The governor may consent to the employment of not more than one-half of the naval militia to assist in areas adjacent to the borders of the state. No person shall, by reason of his enlistment, warrant or commission in the naval militia, be exempt from militia service under any law of the United States.

Section 5921.13 | Resignation - discharge.
 

The governor may accept the resignation of any commissioned officer or warrant officer or grant a discharge to any enlisted member of the Ohio naval militia at any time. Commissions or warrants of officers of the naval militia shall be vacated by resignation or absence without leave for three months, upon recommendation of an efficiency board, pursuant to sentence of a court martial or if such officer has been convicted of an infamous crime.

Section 5921.14 | No enlistment by organization.
 

No civil organization, society, club, post, order, fraternity, association, brotherhood, body, union, league, or other combination of persons, or civil group, shall be enlisted in the Ohio naval militia as an organization.

Section 5921.15 | Compensation.
 

The officers and enlisted men of the Ohio naval militia shall receive from the state the same pay, allowances, benefits, and privileges, in every respect, as are allowed the officers and enlisted men of corresponding rank and grade of the Ohio military reserve, provided such pay or supplies as provided by the department of defense shall be deducted therefrom.

Each ship company of the Ohio naval militia shall receive the same allowances for incidental expenses, as are allowed the headquarters of a separate battalion of the Ohio military reserve, and each division, the same allowance in every respect as a company of infantry.