Fort Smith convention Center, Fort Smith Ark. -- The 188th Wing hosted a formal change of command ceremony Sat. Sept. 16 at the Fort Smith convention center as Col. Robert Kinney took command of the 188th Wing.
“Col. Kinney’s drive is through his passion for his people,” said Brig. Gen. Mark A Sicard, Arkansas Air National Guard Commander.
Kinney, a career intelligence officer, is the wing’s first non-pilot rated commander. He will now command the Arkansas Air National Guard's 188th Wing’s three primary missions: Remotely Piloted Aircraft (MQ-9 Reaper); Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR); and Targeting (Space-Focused).
“He has become a household name in the Intel ISR communities, worked on presidential budgets, has worked with all levels of staff and seems to graduate every school as either a distinguished graduate or the valedictorian,” said Sicard.
Kinney served two tours at the National Guard Bureau Intelligence Directorate where he was instrumental in the stand-up of over 30 new ISR units in the Air National Guard. He has served extensively in different leadership roles within the Air Force ISR enterprise to include working with/within the Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS), the U-2 Dragon Lady, the RQ-4 Global Hawk Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), the MQ-1 Predator RPA, the MQ-9 Reaper RPA, and has served as both a Distributed Ground Station Liaison Officer (DGS-LNO) and ISR Mission Coordinator.
Prior to taking command Kinney previously served as the 188th Wing’s Vice Commander from 2016-2017 and served as the 188th ISR Group Commander from 2013 - 2016. During this assignment he commanded 347 members who performed an array of ISR mission sets providing near-real time information, data, and intelligence to air, ground, and naval force component commanders around the world for use in the planning and execution of military operations across the spectrum of conflict.
“My pledge to you team is that I will communicate early and often through different venues, and I will work to further empower you and challenge you to raise the bar. This will make us better, it will make us stronger. I will ask a lot of you because I ask a lot of myself. Hold me accountable just as I will hold you accountable,” said Kinney.
The 188th Wing is comprised of nearly 1,000 dedicated members of which more than 300 are full-time technicians that contributes more than $40 million to the local economy annually.