Members of the 838th Military Police Company from Youngstown and the 324th Military Police Company from Middletown will be deployed within 10 days at Akron-Canton, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo and Youngstown-Warren airports, Taft said.
The Federal Aviation Administration will provide a two-day training period for the guard members, after which they will work in teams to help supervise security at 11 checkpoints at the six airports.
Taft said it was still unclear how many guard members would go to each airport.
The guard members will wear civilian-style uniforms and carry 9 mm pistols, Taft said. The deployment could last three months or longer, he said.
"I hope the increased presence of these officers will help Ohioans feel safe to fly again," Taft said. "We have no reason to believe that we are not safe, but it is prudent to take all necessary precautions and measures during this war on terrorism."
The U.S. Department of Transportation told Ohio it would need to activate up to 104 guard members to cover the checkpoints, Taft said.
"We're talking about supervision and oversight, we're not talking about, 'These are the people who take your suitcase and search it,"' he said.
Taft's announcement responded to President Bush's request Thursday that governors call up guard members for airport security in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The guard members will provide a transition between current civilian security procedures and Bush's plan to put the federal government in charge of airport security and screening, including the purchase and maintenance of all equipment.
Under that plan, the government would supervise passenger and baggage security and perform background checks on security personnel. Uniformed federal workers would manage all operations; federal and nonfederal workers would share the security work.
Many airport security workers would remain in the employ of private companies, but with increased oversight by the federal government.
Also Friday, officials at the governor's office said they will announce next week whether Taft will make a scheduled weeklong overseas trade mission to Germany in October.
Taft is weighing the trip, including the security costs and the chance of being stranded in Europe, said Chief of Staff Brian Hicks.
"It could go on without the governor _ I don't know if that makes sense or not," Hicks said. "The governor really does something to help open doors."
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