Lt. Col. Kyle Moore joined the Ohio National Guard’s Homeland Response Force (HRF) in Washington, D.C. to lead troops activated by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine for the 59th Presidential Inauguration on January 20. More than 26,000 National Guard men and women from 50 states, three territories, and the District of Columbia provided security and other support services for federal and D.C. agencies during this historical event. The HRF is an Ohio National Guard unit that specializes in saving lives and reducing human suffering during a natural, man-made, or terrorist incident in the U.S., consisting of decontamination, search and extraction, medical triage, and command and control capabilities to support civil authorities.

“In mid-January, I received a call notifying me that I would be activated with the National Guard to provide protection to the U.S. Capital Region in support of the presidential inauguration.  Given the events of January 6, I was not terribly surprised that I received the call.  Assuring the peaceful transfer of power for our democracy was one of the most meaningful missions that I’ve worked to accomplish in my career.  It was a lot of work to safely mobilize the force and deploy the people and equipment from Ohio to the Capital Region on such short notice, but the inauguration went forward without issues thanks to the hard work of the thousands of National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from across the country.

I’ve always tried to put my military training to use here at Chesapeake Utilities, but there are also times when my work here supports the National Guard.  This was one of those times.  Not only did I receive outstanding support from the employees and executive leadership at Chesapeake Utilities, I also used many of our best practices to lead the staff of the Ohio Homeland Response Force.  Chesapeake Utilities communicates and safely executes critical tasks very well – especially in times of urgent need.  I may have been the one wearing a uniform in the Capital Region, but credit for mission success also belongs to the many employees here at Chesapeake Utilities for the support provided while I was away and for the professional development that you share with me every day.”