State senator gets promotion from Guard, faces call-up

July 27, 2004
Columbus Dispatch

State Sen. Steve Stivers is moving up the chain of command of the Ohio Army National Guard and could be called to active duty before the year is over.

The Columbus Republican, assigned to the 237 th Personnel Services Battalion based at Rickenbacker Airport, was promoted to lieutenant colonel in June and now is battalion commander. He’s been in the guard 19 years.

Stivers said guard units are rotating into active service in the war against terrorism. "My unit is one of the units that might be called up," he said. If it is, "I’ll have a tough decision to make."

Stivers, 39, would have to decide whether to remain a senator during his year on active duty, or to resign his 16 th District seat. He’s running for a four-year term in November, having been appointed in January 2003.