Ohio Adjutant General
Major General John C. Harris, Jr.
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Major General John C. Harris, Jr.
Maj. Gen. John C. Harris, Jr. is the Adjutant General, Ohio National Guard, Joint Force Headquarters, Columbus, Ohio. He is a member of the Governor's cabinet and is responsible for the command of the Ohio National Guard and the military readiness of the Ohio Militia. The Ohio National Guard consists of the Ohio Army National Guard, Ohio Air National Guard, Ohio Military Reserve, and Ohio Naval Militia, totaling more than 16,000 personnel. General Harris leads the flag officer heads of these components in the day-to-day operation and management of the readiness, fiscal, personnel, equipment, and real property resources of the agency.
General Harris began his military career in 1981 when he enlisted in the Ohio Army National Guard. He received a commission in 1984 through Officer Candidate School. He has commanded at the platoon, detachment, company, and squadron levels while serving in staff assignments at the battalion, squadron, state area command, and joint force headquarters level. Recent prior assignments include Chief of Staff (Joint Force Headquarters), Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel (Joint Force Headquarters), and Commander of Task Force Lancer in Kosovo. Most recently, General John Harris served as the Assistant Adjutant General for Army, OHARNG Element, Joint Force Headquarters, from January 11, 2011 to January 13, 2019. As the Assistant Adjutant General for Army, he was responsible for establishing policies, priorities, and oversight for the readiness of approximately 11,400 Soldiers. | READ FULL BIO
PHOTO GALLERY
Maj. Gen. John C. Harris, Jr. is sworn in as the 83rd Adjutant General of Ohio by Gov. Mike DeWine Jan. 14, 2019, in Columbus, Ohio.
During the promotion of Brig. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., assistant adjutant general for Army, Ohio National Guard, his son John and daughter Rachel replace his colonel's eagles with brigadier general's stars, Friday, March 2, 2012, in Columbus, Ohio. Harris joined the Ohio Army National Guard in 1981 and now leads the organization's 11,400 Soldiers.
Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr. (center), Ohio assistant adjutant general for Army, receives his new shoulder rank epaulettes from Maj. Gen. Deborah A. Ashenhurst (left), Ohio adjutant general, and his wife, Angela, during a Dec. 19, 2014, promotion ceremony at the Maj. Gen. Robert S. Beightler Armory in Columbus, Ohio. Harris, who has been in his position since January 2011, establishes policies, priorities and oversight for the readiness of more than 11,000 Soldiers in the Ohio Army National Guard.
Brig. Gen. John C. Harris Jr. (from right), Ohio assistant adjutant general for Army; Command Sgt. Maj. Rodger Jones, state command sergeant major; Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jay Stuckman, state command chief warrant officer; and Col. Chip Tansill, Ohio Army National Guard chief of staff, participate in the “first shot” ceremony July 1, 2013, at the new Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center Shoot House. The shoot house will be used to train military and police personnel in close-contact scenarios such as room and building clearing, hostage rescue and active shooter response.
VIDEO GALLERY
Meet the Ohio Adjutant General
Maj. Gen. John C. Harris, Jr. became the 83rd Adjutant General of Ohio when he was sworn in Jan. 14, 2019, by Gov. Mike DeWine. In this interview, he discusses his organizational priorities, leadership and the reason he has been a member of the Ohio National Guard for more than 30 years.
Focus on what's important to the team
Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio assistant adjutant general for Army, expresses his concerns regarding perceived divisiveness among Ohio National Guard members, and how it has no place in the ranks. He encourages Guard members to express themselves and their beliefs with family and friends about heavily debated topics within American society, but to do so in the proper environment. When in uniform, save those debates for another time and focus on what allows us to stay mission ready and combat effective. When we show up to do our duty, the most important thing is the team.
Ohio National Guard honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
On Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, Ohio Guard members were part of the 34th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Breakfast in Columbus, Ohio. The largest of its kind in the U.S., the gathering celebrates and honors the legacy of the civil rights leader.