The commander of an Arkansas Air National Guard base has resigned, allegedly due to the Pentagon’s policy funding abortion travel for service members.
Colonel Dillon Patterson was commander of the 188th Wing of Ebbing Air National Guard Base, and stepped down over the Department of Defense (DoD) abortion policy, according to Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “Col. Patterson has served our country honorably for 22 years and earned numerous awards and decorations. With all Arkansans, I thank Col. Patterson for his dedicated service to our state and nation,” Sanders wrote in a letter to President Biden.
“Unfortunately, Col. Patterson was forced to personally choose between either continuing his command or adhering to his sincerely held religious beliefs against abortion. Because he adhered first to his faith instead of overtly political mandates, he voluntarily resigned his command. I admire Col. Patterson for having the confidence of his convictions, but regret that our nation’s military will suffer the loss of a dedicated airman, leader, and guardsman as a commander.”
The Arkansas National Guard confirmed that Patterson has resigned, though he remains an active member of the Arkansas Air National Guard.
“It is unjustifiable to sacrifice the leadership of a lifetime of service for abortion or any other overtly political issue,” Sanders continued. “Col. Patterson’s only fault was being a man of conviction led by senior Department of Defense leadership who had disregarded his service and abandoned his most fundamental constitutional rights in favor of more fashionable political and social experiments.”
In 2022, the Pentagon announced a new memorandum dictating that military members and their dependents would have abortion-related travel expenses covered if they live in pro-life states. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) blocked defense nominees for 10 months, in an effort to force the Department of Defense (DOD) to abandon its policy funding abortion tourism, but ultimately, ended his efforts. In December, a defense bill was passed allowing the funding of military abortion travel to continue.
Sanders urged Biden and the Pentagon to rescind the policy, arguing that it has been negatively affecting military readiness.
“Secretary Austin declared that the U.S. Department of Defense (“DoD” or “Defense Department”) would subvert the actions of states like Arkansas by using taxpayer dollars to fund the travel, meals, and lodging associated with out-of-state servicemember travel for procurement of an abortion procedure. Maybe equally as egregious, the DoD now requires that commanding officers — regardless of any sincere and deeply held religious convictions to the contrary — are forced to approve such abortion leave,” she wrote, adding, “At a time when nearly every military branch has failed to meet recruiting thresholds, it is difficult to imagine a more irresponsible and shortsighted bureaucratic mandate.”
