All Veterans and their spouses are invited to attend a Salute to American Veterans at Hempstead Hall on Friday, November 11, 2022. Doors will open at 10:30 and the program, which includes Guest Speaker,Retired Lieutenant Colonel Anderson Neal, Jr., will begin at 11:00. For more information, please contact Bob Willis at 870-397-1960.

ABOUT RETIRED LIEUTENANT COLONEL ANDERSON NEAL, JR.:

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Anderson Neal, Jr., was born in Augusta, Arkansas.  He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro in 1978.  While at ASU, Neal joined ROTC, developed respect for the military, and wanted to serve his country.

In 1985, he joined the Air National Guard while living in Ft Smith.  He completed basic training, followed by a 14-week aircraft maintenance training, and began his military career with the rank of airman first-class -- working in aircraft maintenance on fighter jets, the F-4 Phantom, and the F-16 Falcon as well as the C-130 Hercules troop and cargo transport.

Lieutenant Colonel Neal earned enlisted promotions quickly to senior airman, staff sergeant, and air crew chief by 1986 for the 188th Fighter Wing stationed in Ft. Smith. In 1989, Anderson earned his officer’s commission as second lieutenant.  He deployed multiple times, including tours of duty in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and other NATO countries, receiving commendations for his dedicated military service.

Neal retired as a lieutenant colonel in 2016, after commanding the maintenance unit which he initially joined as a crew chief back in 1986 - the 188th Fighter Wing, in Fort Smith.   His civilian, post-college occupation with USDA’s Soil Conservation Service, now known as the Natural Resources Conservation Service,  included providing technical and financial advice and assistance to farmers and ranchers. Subjects ranged from soil irrigation, water quality, soil erosion and natural resource issues. He would finish his civilian career as deputy director of the USDA’s Office of Advocacy and Outreach in Washington, D.C., in 2016.

Apart from his military and civil service, Neal has been involved in community service with the Lions Club, the Arkansas National Guard Association, the Arkansas National Youth Challenge Board, and the Texarkana, Arkansas, Planning and Zoning Commission.  He received the National Presidential Volunteer Service Award from President Barack Obama for his lifelong volunteer service.  Neal also received the Arkansas State University Alumni Award in 2020; and he currently  serves as a volunteer with the Employer Support for Guard and Reserve.