BRIGADIER GENERAL KIRK E. VAN PELT
Assistant Adjutant General - Army, Arkansas National Guard
Brigadier General Kirk E. Van Pelt was Assistant Adjutant General - Army, Arkansas National Guard, and the Commander, Joint Force Headquarters. His primary responsibilities were command and control of the Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver Training Center, Camp Robinson Maneuver Training Center, the 233rd Regional Training Institute and the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center.
General Van Pelt was commissioned in 1985 through the Officer Candidate Program at the Arkansas Regional Training Institute. His mobilization experience includes infantry battalion command in Baghdad, Iraq from 2004 to 2005 and garrison command of Camp Taji, Iraq in 2008. General Van Pelt's key assignments include Commander, 2nd Battalion, 153rd Infantry; Commander, 3rd Battalion, 153rd Infantry; Commander, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team; and G3, Arkansas Army National Guard.
EDUCATION:
2008 Excelsior College, Bachelor of Science, Liberal Arts, Albany, New York
2011 United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, by correspondence
2014 United States Northern Command, Dual Status Commander Qualification Program, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. July 1985 - January 1986, Platoon Leader, Detachment 1, Company A, 1st Battalion, 153rd Infantry, Arkadelphia, Arkansas
2. January 1986 - May 1986, Student, Infantry Officer Basic Course, Fort Benning, Georgia
3. May 1986 - October 1988, Platoon Leader, Detachment 1, Company A, 1st Battalion, 153rd Infantry, Arkadelphia, Arkansas
4. October 1988 - October 1989, Mortar Platoon Leader, Company A, 1st Battalion, 153rd Infantry, Prescott, Arkansas
5. October 1989 - July 1992, Company Commander, Company C, 1st Battalion, 153rd Infantry, Mena, Arkansas
6. August 1992 - September 1994, Officer Candidate School Instructor, Arkansas Regional Training Institute, North Little Rock, Arkansas
7. September 1994 - January 1995, Officer Candidate School Senior Training, Advising and Counseling Officer, Arkansas Regional Training Institute, North Little Rock, Arkansas
8. January 1995 - July 1996, Officer Candidate School Senior Instructor, Arkansas Regional Training Institute, North Little Rock, Arkansas
9. August 1996 - September 1997, Brigade Plans Officer, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Little Rock, Arkansas
10. October 1997 - January 1999, Battalion Operations Officer, 3rd Battalion, 153rd Infantry, Warren, Arkansas
11. January 1999 - July 2000, Battalion Executive Officer, 3rd Battalion, 153rd Infantry, Warren, Arkansas
12. August 2000 - January 2001, Brigade Information Officer, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Little Rock, Arkansas
13. January 2001 - June 2001, Chief of Logistics, Camp Robinson Installation Support Unit, North Little Rock, Arkansas
14. July 2001 - August 2002, Brigade Operations Officer, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Little Rock, Arkansas
15. August 2002 - October 2003, Battalion Commander, 2nd Battalion, 153rd Infantry, Searcy, Arkansas
16. October 2003 - April 2005, Battalion Commander, 3rd Battalion, 153rd Infantry, Warren, Arkansas
17. April 2005 - June 2005, Battalion Commander, 2nd Battalion, 153rd Infantry, Searcy, Arkansas
18. June 2005 - July 2006, Brigade Executive Officer, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Little Rock, Arkansas
19. August 2006 - May 2009, Brigade Deputy Commander, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Little Rock, Arkansas
20. May 2009 - May 2012, Brigade Commander, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Little Rock, Arkansas
21. May 2012 - October 2013, G3, Arkansas Army National Guard, North Little Rock, Arkansas
22. October 2013 - Present, Assistant Adjutant General - Army, Arkansas National Guard, Joint Force Headquarters, North Little Rock, Arkansas
AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Bronze Star (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Army Commendation Medal (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster)
Army Achievement Medal
Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
National Defense Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Service Star)
Iraqi Campaign Ribbon (with 1 Bronze Service Star)
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Gold Hourglass, M Device and Numeral 2)
Army Service Ribbon
Army Overseas Service Ribbon (with Numeral 2)
Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon (with Numeral 2)
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Combat Infantry Badge
Expert Infantry Badge
Air Assault Badge
Basic Aviation Badge
CIVILIAN OCCUPATION:
Vice-President of Arkansas Industrial Computing Inc. in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Arkansas Industrial Computing Inc. is a systems integration company that specializes in programming, networking and data collection services.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS & AFFILIATIONS:
National Guard Association of the United States
National Guard Association of Arkansas
National Infantry Association
American Legion
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Second Lieutenant 29 July 1985
First Lieutenant 28 July 1988
Captain 7 September 1990
Major 23 January 1995
Lieutenant Colonel 14 March 2001
Colonel 26 September 2006
Brigadier General 2 October 2013
(Current as of May 2014)