Hello, my name is Michael Hire. I started my career with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) in 2000 at the age of 25 as a Corrections Officer at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution (CCI) in Chillicothe, OH. By this time, I was already in my 7th year with the Ohio Army National Guard and continued to serve for 20 years and 7 months. During my enlistment, I achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant and was deployed a few times for several different missions, OIF/OEF, and Clear Skies to name a few. Retiring in August of 2013.

Back to the badge, as a Corrections Officer, I was able to become a member of the institution’s Special Response Team (SRT), Honor Guard team, and an instructor of several disciplines. My instructorship includes Firearms, Pepper Ball, DT/SC ( our version of self-defense), PR-24, and Transportation. I am an Instructor Trainer in Firearms and Transportation, also. In 2022, I was promoted to Sergeant/ Corrections Counselor for our Death Row units and Restrictive Housing units.

In 2007, is when I joined my institution’s Honor Guard team, and in 2010 applied for the ODRC State Honor Guard team and was selected. With the State team, we were able to perform opening and closing ceremonies for conferences, present colors for several professional sports teams in Ohio, and participate in multiple parades around the state. In 2019, I was asked to become the ODRC State Honor Guard Commander.

2018, myself and three members of the ODRC State Honor Guard, along with two of the department’s assistant directors attended the service for Sgt Baserman in PA, which happened to be my first encounter with the Correctional Peace Officer Foundation and its Honor Guard. It made such a huge impact on us as a team, we decided to research the Foundation more, and we attended PROJECT that year in Houston.

Attending PROJECT for the first time in Houston was an amazing and heartfelt opportunity, and seeing how the Foundation really holds itself to its motto of “Taking Care of Our Own” was so overwhelming for me. When I got back to Ohio and did some more research into the Foundation, I decided to apply for the Honor Guard later that year.

In 2021, I was selected to join the CPOF National Honor Guard team by Commander Raymond Gonsalves and was later promoted to Sergeant.

I am still humbled, proud, and honored to continue to serve as a member and representative of the CPO Foundation and its National Honor Guard team, each time we are activated for a service for a fallen officer or attending PROJECT each year. Where I get to give back to the profession I have come to love and care for. Plus, I can continue our everlasting mission, “Taking Care of Our Own”. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t In thank the Foundation for helping my family, and I got through my own medical situation last year.

May God continue to bless the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation and all of us.

Thank you.