Their operational headquarters are on the Camp Perry Joint Training Center, in Port Clinton, Ohio, on the shores of Lake Erie.

From the months of April, through November, the drills consist primarily of patrolling the impact area of Lake Erie immediately adjacent to Camp Perry's firing range.

In an effort to get Spain out of Cuba, President William McKinley was authorized to use all land and naval forces, as well as militia to enforce Congressional demands.

[2] On 20 April 1917 the ship's company of USS Dorothea at Cleveland, part of the ONM, was the first Ohio National Guard unit activated for service in the First World War.

By patrolling the impact area, the ONM provides support for the Ohio National Guard and other state and federal military units as they perform weapons qualifications prior to deploying.

However, in the event of an emergency declared by the President or Congress or caused by enemy action, the governor, as the commander-in-chief, has the authority to expand the forces as necessary to meet the situation's needs.

[6] Command: The Ohio Naval Militia currently utilizes the Defender B class boat, also known as the Response Boat–Small (RB-S), as their primary vessel.