Fort Smith Metro News Briefs: USA Truck military support, Baptist Health to hold ‘MASH’ events

Following are recent news brief items from the Fort Smith metro.

Military Support
Van Buren-based USA Truck recently announced its Military Apprenticeship Program designed to provide career paths for those transitioning out of active-duty military service.

The program was developed in collaboration with FASTPORT and is a two-year career track that targets high-demand roles for professional drivers and diesel technicians, according to the company. Through this initiative, eligible transitioning service members can enter the civilian workforce while remaining financially stable during their transition.

Participants will be eligible to receive their full Military Housing Allowance (MHA) stipend, typically valued at approximately $1,600 per month, directly from the military while simultaneously earning their full standard compensation and pay from USA Truck. This dual support system ensures that veterans and their families remain financially secure during their critical first 24 months of civilian employment, the company said in a recent press release.

“We are incredibly proud to launch this program and offer a meaningful bridge from military service to a thriving career in Transportation,” said USA Truck CEO George Henry. “Veterans bring invaluable leadership, discipline, and technical expertise to our team. By combining full USA Truck compensation with MHA benefits, we are removing financial barriers and investing heavily in the future of our nation’s heroes as they become elite drivers and technicians.”

USA Truck is recruiting transitioning service members for the apprenticeship program. Interested applicants can find more information or apply directly by visiting the company’s recruitment portal at this link.

As of early 2026, the company had around 450 corporate employees, with between 275 and 300 of those in Van Buren. The company had about 1,600 trucks and drivers and about 6,000 trailers. The company also works with about 250 owner-operators through a subsidiary.

Baptist Health Programs
Baptist Health-Fort Smith plans to conduct two interactive summer events designed to provide local students with hands-on exposure to healthcare, emergency response, and public safety careers.

Members of Baptist Health’s Next Gen Teen Volunteer Program and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) MASH students will participate with first responders and healthcare professionals.

The first event, “Heroes Unite!,” will be held 9 to 10:30 a.m., Tuesday (June 25), at the northwest employee parking lot, corner of G Street and Towson Avenue in Fort Smith.

Similar to a “Touch-a-Truck” event, Heroes Unite! gives students the opportunity to interact with local police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, and others while exploring emergency vehicles and learning about careers in public service.

A mock crash disaster drill will be held 9 to 11:30 a.m., Thursday (June 25), at the northwest employee parking lot, corner of G Street and Towson Avenue in Fort Smith.

Staff from Baptist Health-Fort Smith, local law enforcement, fire departments, EMS agencies, and emergency management partners will conduct a large-scale mock disaster exercise for UAMS MASH students and Next Gen volunteers. The scenario involves a school bus crash with a hazardous materials component, creating a realistic emergency response environment that allows students to observe and participate in coordinated rescue, triage, and hospital response operations, according to Baptist Health.

Top McDonald’s
Arkansas is home to the 15th-highest-rated McDonald’s restaurants in America, and the Fort Smith McDonald’s locations were tops in the state, according to a study by Restaurant Furniture. The study examined more than 8.7 million customer reviews on Google across 4,867 U.S. McDonald’s locations to determine which areas have the best experience.

The report looked at the top 10 cities in each state, analyzing the number of McDonald’s locations and their average ratings. Then, a weighted average of those city-level reviews was used to calculate which states have the highest and lowest-rated McDonald’s overall.

McDonald’s restaurants in Arkansas are ranked 15th when it comes to average ratings on Google, at 3.47. Fort Smith was the best in the state at 3.69, followed by Conway at 3.61. Of the state’s 10 largest cities, Pine Bluff has the lowest-rated McDonald’s restaurants at 3.27.

“What stands out about Arkansas is the range across its cities,” said Nick Warren, head of ecommerce at Restaurant Furniture. “Fort Smith’s McDonald’s are performing well above the national average, which suggests strong local management and customer service standards.”

The Hadley family has the franchise for McDonald’s restaurants in the Fort Smith area.