Arkansas
Military Veterans'
Hall of Fame
Arkansas
Military Veterans'
Hall of Fame
Major Adkins Jr. of Fayetteville, U.S. Army, Iraq, awards include the Bronze Star medal, the Purple Heart medal, five awards of the Meritorious Service medal, four awards of the Army Commendation medal and the Master Parachutist badge. He is Senior Vice Commander for the Arkansas Military Order of the Purple Heart.
Major Atkins entered military service in February 1980 as an enlisted member of Echo Troop, 151st armored Cavalry Regiment, 39th infantry Brigade, Arkansas Army National Guard. Upon graduation from the University of Central Arkansas in May 1981 Major Adkins was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, Quartermaster Corps, in the regular Army and served on active duty until 30 May 2001 when he retired as a Major. After retirement Major Atkins accepted a position as a Department of the Army Contractor to serve as the Battalion Executive Officer/Recruiting Operations Officer for the University of Arkansas Army Reserve Officers Training Program (ROTC). In a four-and-a-half-year period, Major Adkins took a program ranked 267/271 and brought it up to 94/271 and was named as the US Army Cadet Command Recruiter of the Year for 2005. Through his efforts, the UA Army ROTC program was able to expand and cross enrolled students from John Brown University, Northwest Arkansas Community College, UA Fort Smith and Northeastern State University in Tahlequah Oklahoma. in February 2006, Major Adkins was named and “Arkansas Traveler” by then Governor Mike Huckabee for his exceptional achievement in recruiting for both the University of Arkansas and Army ROTC and for his support of Veterans programs in the state of Arkansas.
On 16 November 2005, Major Adkins was notified by the US Army Human Resources Command that he was being recalled to active duty for service in Operation Iraqi Freedom after training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Fort Carson, Colorado, and Fort Hood, Texas, Major Adkins was assigned as Commander/Team Leader of Military Transition Team (MiTT) 0413, Forward Operating Base Poliwoda, City of Balad, Iraq, responsible for the training and equipping of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division. Upon successful completion of that mission, Major Atkins was reassigned as Commander/Team Leader of MiTT 0142, located at India Base, City of Fallujah, Iraq. 27th December 2006, Major Adkins’ team was providing over-watch to 1st company, 2nd battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division, moving from Forward Operating Base Muhammad to India Base for further redeployment to Baghdad as part of the surge to protect that City from insurgents and terrorist. While moving through the city of Al Karmah, Iraq, the convoy came under small-arms fire and an attack by a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), killing four Iraqi Soldiers and wounding two Iraqi Soldiers, four US soldiers and two US Marines of MiTT 0142. After evacuating the wounded to Forward Operating Base Delta for medical treatment, Major Adkins and the remaining members of MiTT 0142 returned to assist 1st Company in recovering the Iraqi Soldiers killed in action. Again, the convoy came under intense small arms fire. Upon being directed by his Brigade Commander to return to Forward Operating Base Delta, Major Adkins HMMWV was hit by a wire detonated IED hidden in a pothole filled with water, wounding 3 US Army soldiers, one US Marine and one Iraqi Translator. They were able to self recover to FOB Delta but were further evacuated to the US Naval Surgical Hospital located at Camp Fallujah for treatment of their injuries.
Major Adkins was finally able to re-retire on 9 July 2009. On 12th December 2011, nearly five years after being wounded in Iraq, Major Atkins was awarded the Purple Heart. Other awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, five Meritorious Service Medals, four Army Commendation Medals, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, 5 Army Achievement Medals, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Military Volunteer Service Medal, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, and the Parachute Rigger Badge.
In July 2015, Major Adkins was named the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) Department of Arkansas Patriot of the year and in August 2015 Region V Patriot of the year. Additionally he has earned the MOPH recruiters pin three years in a row. Through his efforts the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Department of Arkansas is a participating member of the Northwest Arkansas Veterans Coalition.
Major Adkins Jr. of Fayetteville, U.S. Army, Iraq, awards include the Bronze Star medal, the Purple Heart medal, five awards of the Meritorious Service medal, four awards of the Army Commendation medal and the Master Parachutist badge. He is Senior Vice Commander for the Arkansas Military Order of the Purple Heart.