It’s hard to overstate how much we owe the men and women who serve in the armed forces. They are willing to sacrifice their lives for the rest of us.

They are willing to do whatever is asked. In the case of those in the Ohio National Guard and State Defense Force, the mission for more than a year has been protecting families from a very real danger here at home. They kept the state’s food banks and warehouses running through emergency support that was nothing short of a life-saver.

“Over the past 15 months, our Ohio National Guard members have stepped up in many different ways, and I am extremely grateful for their service and dedication,” Gov. Mike DeWine said.

“Their work to help distribute more than 56 million pounds of food at Ohio food banks was crucial to ensuring that those who needed food during the pandemic didn’t go hungry.”

Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio adjutant general, said: “We could never have imagined a mission such as this prior to March 2020, but I’m proud of how our men and women stepped up to the task.”

That mission ends July 2, and he is right to be proud.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. As you return to the civilian lives you left behind, know an entire state is grateful for the difference you made.