by Talk Business & Politics staff
Col. Leon Dodroe, former commander of the 188th Wing in Fort Smith, was promoted to brigadier general and assumed command of the Arkansas Air National Guard. Col. Jeremiah Gentry was promoted to 188th commander.
Dodroe replaced Brig. Gen. Thomas Crimmins who was selected by the U.S. Air Force as senior defense official and defense attaché to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Dodroe enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1993 and served with the 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga. In 1995, he was selected for pilot training and received his commission through Officer Candidate School. Upon completion of flight training school in 1996, he was assigned as the Fixed Wing Platoon Leader for the Southern European Task Force at Vicenza, Italy. He has also served in the Arizona Army National Guard, and the U.S. Army Reserve, holding numerous leadership positions before joining the Arizona Air National Guard in 2010.
C-130 aircraft line up to take off at the Little Rock Air Force Base.