Ator named secretary of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs

Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Ator II, who played a role in bringing the foreign military pilot training center to Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, has been picked by Gov. Sarah Sanders as the next secretary of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs.

Ator is replacing Secretary Kendall Penn, who announced his retirement last month.

“Colonel Ator is a rare breed: he speaks the language of government, the military, and the private sector, which explains his success in a career that’s touched each of those sectors,” Sanders said in a statement. “Ator loves our veterans and I know he will be the perfect fit for a job focused on attracting veterans to our state, getting them great jobs once they’re here, and supporting their health, education, and wellbeing,” said Gov. Sanders.

Ator has worked as the director of military affairs for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) of the Arkansas Department of Commerce since 2018. There he was the Arkansas representative to the governor, the Arkansas Legislature, Arkansas’ Congressional delegation, and the U.S. Department of Defense for issues affecting the state’s five military installations and military-related missions hosted in the state.

“I am profoundly proud to have a Governor who is so deeply committed to those that have worn our nation’s uniform and beyond humbled to be asked to lead the effort to honor their service. I will work relentlessly to improve the lives that have given so much of themselves to our safety and security and continue to serve in our communities and economy,” Ator said.

According to the governor’s office, there has been a more than 30% increase in the economic impact to Arkansas from defense-related missions during Ator’s time with the AEDC, with the most significant growth coming from the foreign military pilot training center in Fort Smith.

Ebbing, home to the 188th Wing in Fort Smith and co-located with the Fort Smith Regional Airport, was selected in March 2023 by the U.S. Air Force to be the long-term pilot training center supporting F-16 and F-35 fighter planes purchased by Singapore, Switzerland, Poland, Germany, Finland and other countries participating in the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.

Prior to retiring from the military, Ator was the commander of the 189th Airlift Wing of the Arkansas Air National Guard based in Jacksonville. As the largest Air National Guard C-130 Wing in the United States, the 189th provides all the C-130H aircrew training for the U.S. Department of Defense and its allied nations, trains and equips forces for deployment in active duty service, and serves the citizens of Arkansas as the Governor’s Quick Reaction Force.

Ator is a 1989 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He served 11 years in the active duty Air Force before joining the Arkansas Air National Guard as a full-time air guardsman. His post-graduate training includes Squadron Officers’ School, Air Command and Staff College, Contingencies War Planner Course, and Air War College.  He is an experienced C-130 Hercules instructor, evaluator, and functional check pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours.

He is a veteran of several major combat operations including Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait; Operation Provide Comfort in Somalia; Operation Provide Promise in Haiti; Operation Joint Forge in Bosnia; and Operation Noble Eagle in support of homeland defense.