Gov. Sanders: 188th commander resigns over abortion policy (Updated)

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders is citing the resignation of 188th Wing Commander Col. Dillon Patterson in a letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that asks for repeal of a policy that pays for abortion-related costs for members of the military.

In a statement issued Tuesday (Jan. 2) afternoon, Gov. Sanders suggested Patterson resigned as 188th commander because he did not support the Department of Defense (DOD) policy on abortion access.

The 188th is based at Ebbing Air National Guard base in Fort Smith and has more than 1,000 unit members. The 188th’s three primary missions are remotely piloted aircraft (MQ-9 Reaper), intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting (space-focused). As of Tuesday, Patterson was still listed as unit commander on the 188th website.

The DOD issued a policy in October 2022 that established rules for military members to seek leave, have certain expenses covered, and provide other protections for “non-covered reproductive health care.” The new policy was announced just a few months after the U.S. Supreme Court in July 2022 overturned Roe v. Wade, which since 1973 allowed women to obtain a legal abortion.

“These policies reinforce the Secretary of Defense’s commitment to taking care of our people, ensuring their health and well-being, and ensuring the Force remains ready and resilient,” noted a February 2023 DOD statement on the policy. “Our Service members and their families do not control where they are stationed, and due to the nature of military service, are frequently required to travel or move to meet operational requirements. The efforts taken by the Department today will not only ensure that Service members and their families are afforded time and flexibility to make private health care decisions, but will also ensure Service members are able to access non-covered reproductive health care regardless of where they are stationed.”

In her letter, Sanders said the DOD policy violated Patterson’s religious beliefs, forcing him to resign after less than six months as unit commander.

“Unfortunately, Col. Patterson was forced to personally choose between either continuing his command or adhering to his sincerely held religious beliefs against abortion. Because he adhered first to his faith instead of overtly political mandates, he voluntarily resigned his command. I admire Col. Patterson for having the confidence of his convictions, but regret that our nation’s military will suffer the loss of a dedicated airman, leader, and guardsman as a commander.”

Continuing, she noted, “Maybe equally as egregious, the DoD now requires that commanding officers – regardless of any sincere and deeply held religious convictions to the contrary – are forced to approve such abortion leave. … It is unjustifiable to sacrifice the leadership of a lifetime of service for abortion or any other overtly political issue.  Col. Patterson’s only fault was being a man of conviction led by senior Department of Defense leadership who had disregarded his service and abandoned his most fundamental constitutional rights in favor of more fashionable political and social experiments.”

UPDATED INFO
The Arkansas Air National Guard declined to provide a specific reason for Patterson’s resignation. Major Cibeles Ramirez-Rodriguez, state public affairs officer for the Guard, provided Talk Business & Politics with the following statement.

“Col. Dillon Patterson, 188th Wing commander, has resigned his position as wing commander for personal reasons. He has led the wing and Ebbing Air National Guard Base with integrity, selfless service and excellence through a significant transition period as the base readies to host the F-35 Foreign Military Sales mission and Singapore’s squadron of F-16s. In the interim, Brig. Gen. Wes Nichols, currently the Arkansas Air National Guard chief of staff, will temporarily lead the wing until a permanent replacement can be found.

“Col. Patterson submitted his resignation on 18 December 2023 and Brig. Gen. Wes Nichols assumed command on 28 December 2023.

“Col. Patterson will remain an active member of the Arkansas Air National Guard and his resignation will have no impact on his rank or service record.”

Prior to being the 188th commander, Patterson commanded the 188th Mission Support Group, the 214th Operations Support Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., and the 30th Reconnaissance Squadron Detachment 1 at Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan. He also has served as chief of executive engagements, office of the Director of the Air National Guard, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Patterson is a command pilot with more than 3,300 hours in the T-37, T-38, B-1B, MQ-1B, RQ-170, and MQ-9A. He commanded combat missions in operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Freedom Sentinel, Resolute Support, and Juniper Shield.