Arkansas’ top military officer chosen to lead U.S. Army National Guard

Maj. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, secretary of the Arkansas Department of the Military and adjutant general of the state’s National Guard. (John Oldham/U.S. Army)

The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved Arkansas’ top military officer as the next director of the Army National Guard, following a nomination from President Joe Biden last month.

Maj. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, secretary of the Arkansas Department of the Military and adjutant general of the state’s National Guard, will be the first Arkansas national guardsman to assume the federal role, according to a press release from Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

“Without question, I am a product of the incredible example of past Arkansas leaders as well as the formative experiences that were provided to me by the Arkansas National Guard,” Stubbs said in a statement. “I will take every Arkansas Guardsman with me into this next assignment and will work hard every day to make them and my state proud.”

The Army National Guard serves both communities and the country in cases of domestic emergencies, overseas combat missions, counterdrug efforts and more, according to its website. As opposed to active duty military positions, serving in the Guard is primarily a part-time role that allows flexibility for career and educational opportunities.

Arkansas National Guard deploying 40 members to assist Texas at southern U.S. border

In Arkansas, the state National Guard has in recent years been deployed to provide potable water in communities with outages and aid in clean-up efforts after severe weather . Sanders has also occasionally deployed members of the state National Guard to the country’s southern border, where they assisted Texas authorities in curbing illegal immigration.

Stubbs, whose official start in his new role has not yet been announced, is expected to be promoted to lieutenant general and oversee all programs and policies that affect the Army National Guard for the next four years.

For nearly the last 30 years, Stubbs has donned the uniform of an Arkansas National Guardsman. In January 2023, Sanders appointed him to serve in the state’s top military position.

“On good days and tough ones, I knew I could count on Major General Stubbs to lead Arkansas’ National Guard,” Sanders said in a press release.

She offered Stubbs her congratulations and said, “our nation is better off because of his promotion and leadership.”

Alexa Henning, Sanders’ spokesperson, did not reply to questions about plans to appoint someone in Stubbs’ absence by the time of publication.

Stubbs will replace Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, who has led the Army National Guard for the last four years and is expected to retire Aug. 5.

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