The Arkansas National Guard will have a new leader next month.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Wednesday that Adjutant Gen. Mark Berry will retire Aug. 10, and retired Maj. Gen. Kendall Penn will replace him to become the state's 53rd adjutant general.
The Republican governor appointed Berry, 63, to the position shortly after taking office in 2015.
Penn, 55, of North Little Rock held a number of positions in the Arkansas Guard, and before his retirement in 2014, he was the deputy commanding general of the First U.S. Army. Penn has been the executive director of the National Guard Association of Arkansas for the past 3.5 years.
Hutchinson thanked Berry for his service and said Penn brings the right combination of skills to the table.
"General Penn is an accomplished, respected, and principled leader with nearly 40 years of experience in service to our state and nation -- both at home and abroad," Hutchinson said in a statement Wednesday. "Having served in a variety of command and staff positions, General Penn has the knowledge and expertise to lead our National Guard as the state's 53rd Adjutant General."
The Arkansas National Guard has more than 8,600 mostly part-time airmen and soldiers. The Air Force and Army components both fall under the adjutant general, who is appointed by the governor. The Guard also can be assigned into active federal service for out-of-state or overseas deployments.
Under Berry, the Arkansas Guard has completed well over a dozen overseas deployments. Those deployments have included humanitarian missions in response to hurricanes and flooding in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, Peru and the Virgin Islands. They've also included ongoing support missions to Kosovo, the Middle East, Korea and several Central American countries.
Maj. Will Phillips, Guard public affairs officer, said Berry also has focused on continued improvement of the youth challenge program for non-adjudicated troubled minors.
Additionally under Berry's leadership, the Arkansas Guard started a cyber-training school and created a fully operational cybersecurity team.
Berry took the position as the Arkansas Air Guard's 188th Wing was in the final stages of transitioning from A-10 Warthog fighter/bomber planes to unmanned, remotely controlled MQ-9 Reapers.
Berry, who enlisted in the Air Force in 1974, said Penn is an excellent choice to succeed him. He said he was blessed to serve in the role of adjutant general.
"The day I met with Governor Hutchinson, with my decision to retire, was unquestionably the most difficult day of my life," Berry said in a statement. "The pinnacle of my career and my highest honor was to serve as Adjutant General alongside more than 9,000 of the most incredibly talented professional soldiers, airmen, and civilian employees who provide for the safety and security of our communities at a moments notice."
Penn, a native of rural Saline County, enlisted in the Arkansas Army National Guard in 1982 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant of infantry after graduating from the ROTC program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1985.
He holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from UALR and master's in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pa.
Penn began his career as an infantry platoon leader and has since served in a variety of combat and command roles, including as commander of the Arkansas Guard's 39th Infantry Brigade while deployed to Baghdad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2008. He was also a battalion commander with the 39th during a tour in Iraq from 2004-05.
"Following Maj. Gen. Mark Berry, I know I've got big shoes to fill," Penn said. "Fortunately, the Arkansas National Guard is full of Arkansas' best and brightest; folks who since 1804 have been willing to answer the call of their neighbors when natural disasters have arisen, and have been willing to take up arms in defense of their nation when ordered by the president. I am humbled to be counted in their midst once again."
In a Wednesday interview, Penn commended Berry for his leadership of the Guard, saying he wanted to keep the focus "first and foremost" on readiness to assist the nation or state when needed.
He said Berry had made a concerted effort to have the Guard work with and assist other state agencies. He mentioned, for example, training opportunities that the Guard had provided to Arkansas State Police.
"I'd like to see how we can extend those efforts already underway," Penn said. "There's probably opportunities for similar engagements with other state agencies."
Retired Col. Mike Ross said in a Wednesday interview that Penn was a "great selection" and "well-rounded." Penn served under Ross, who preceded Penn as commander of the 39th Infantry Brigade.
"He's got a broad range of experience," Ross said. "He's battle-proven. He not only has great connections in Arkansas, he's highly respected by soldiers here. He was also deputy commanding general of the First Army, so he's well-connected with the active component.
"There's not many jobs he hasn't done."
The Arkansas Guard will have a change-of-command ceremony on Aug. 10, Phillips said.
Metro on 07/04/2019