(ONN) – The general who leads the Ohio National Guard says just over half of Army National Guard members in the state are fully vaccinated.

Major General John Harris Junior says the low vaccination rate degrades the guard’s ability to respond with maximum capability.

The U.S. Military has set a June 30th deadline for all Army National Guard members to be fully vaccinated.

General Harris says he has set a March 31st deadline for Ohio.

Governor Mike DeWine recently issued a call-up of 1,050 Ohio National Guard members to help hospitals deal with surging COVID-19 cases in the state.