Sanders Announces Picks for Secretary of Military, VA

Brig. Gen. Jon Stubbs, left, and Maj. Gen. Kendall Penn

Gov.-elect Sarah Huckabee Sanders has named Brig. Gen. Jon Stubbs as her pick for secretary of the military and adjutant general of the National Guard.

She also announced that she’ll nominate Arkansas National Guard Maj. Gen. Kendall Penn for secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Stubbs has 29 years of military experience, nearly all of it spent in uniform with the Arkansas Army National Guard. He has held every leadership position within the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, from rifle platoon leader to brigade commander. He was deployed to Iraq twice, first in 2004-2005 leading an infantry unit and again in 2008 as an operations officer.

Stubbs was promoted to brigadier general in September 2021 and assigned as the vice director for operations at U.S. National Guard headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. In January 2022, Stubbs was assigned as the deputy director for operations, readiness, and mobilization at U.S. Army headquarters at the Pentagon.

In his new role, Stubbs will lead nearly 10,000 soldiers, airmen and state employees in Arkansas.

Sanders said in a statement that Stubbs’ experience “makes him a clear choice to lead the Department of Military as The Adjutant General, ensuring our airmen and soldiers are standing at the ready to support the state of Arkansas and our nation.”

Penn, Sanders’ pick to lead the state VA, has been adjutant general of the Arkansas National Guard since August 2019.

“Our veterans have made countless sacrifices for our freedom, and I am honored to join the Sanders Administration and serve as Secretary of Veterans Affairs,” he said in statement. “Governor-elect Sanders shares my tremendous respect for our veterans and intention to ensure they have access to benefits, care, and support. I look forward to working with her to make Arkansas the most veteran-friendly state in the nation.”

Penn began his military career in 1982 upon enlistment in the Arkansas Army National Guard. He has served in a variety of command and staff assignments, including as infantry commander during two deployments to Iraq.

In 2011, Penn was selected as the deputy commanding general for operations for First U.S. Army stationed in Illinois, where he oversaw the readiness and training for National Guard and Army Reserve units preparing to deploy into combat.  He was promoted to major general in March 2013.  

“Major General Penn has done an excellent job leading our Department of Military, which is why I have asked him to continue to serve and take on the critical role of Secretary of Veterans Affairs,” Sanders said. “Together, we will ensure that the brave, selfless men and women who have served our country in uniform are always cared for and supported.”