RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (May 8, 2008)--Every morning, Major General William Wofford wakes up and knows that 10,200 citizen soldiers from the state of Arkansas are looking to him for leadership.
It is a responsibility that Wofford accepted in February 2007 when Gov. Mike Beebe appointed him adjutant general for the Arkansas National Guard.
In 15 months as the Arkansas National Guard’s highest-ranking official, Wofford has overseen relief efforts for a series of natural disasters within the state, including the tornadoes and floods that have touched nearly every part of the state in recent months. He has also helped prepare thousands of soldiers to serve their country overseas.
Wofford will be inducted into the Arkansas Tech Hall of Distinction as a distinguished alumnus during the 10 a.m. spring commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10, at John E. Tucker Coliseum.
Wofford’s journey to the top of the Arkansas National Guard began on May 15, 1971, when he graduated from the ROTC program at Arkansas Tech. Wofford also received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Tech that day, and he remembers a college atmosphere that protected its students from the tumult often associated with the late 1960s and early 1970s.
“Around our nation and around the world there were some significant events during that era,” said Wofford. “We watched the conflict in Vietnam escalate, we experienced the transition of the presidency from Lyndon Johnson to Richard Nixon and we watched on television as Neil Armstrong took his first step on the moon. However, at Arkansas Tech our world seemed to revolve around those things that were most important to us on campus at the time: the Wonder Boys playing either at Buerkle Field or in the Stroupe Building, or who was making a run to the Whatta-Burger.
“It seemed like the students that you went to class with and studied with were close friends,” continued Wofford. “We all seemed to pull together -- especially during the week prior to the annual rival football game with the State College of Arkansas (now UCA) Bears. Compared to big city universities, Arkansas Tech probably seemed rather calm --- but we didn't realize it at the time.”
Wofford said that the educational opportunities he had at Tech continue to touch his life today.
“Without really realizing it at the time, I think the close-knit student community and the academic challenges that my instructors provided had a significant impact on my life,” said Wofford. “The steady encouragement of Mrs. Maude Moore in college algebra and Mr. (James) Willis in calculus helped me develop study and work habits that I carried with me throughout my life.
“Colonel (Robert) Gudger, the professor of military science at the ROTC Department, as well as Major (Walter) Mills and Major (Edward) Bryson, provided terrific examples in military bearing and leadership. As a matter of fact, after graduation and commissioning as a regular Army officer stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., I called on Major Mills --- who had also been assigned at Fort Bragg --- for mentoring and advice.”
Wofford was born to parents Phyllis and Auzie Wofford on Aug. 7, 1949, in Clarksville. His youth provided him with role models whom, although they did not know it at the time, were helping influence the direction of the future adjutant general’s life.
“When I was growing up in the early 1950s, it seemed like every adult male that I knew and looked up to (father, uncles, neighbors, church members, etc.) was a World War II veteran,” said Wofford. “They didn't talk about their wartime experiences, but those that most influenced my life as a young boy were veterans.”
Above all those other influences, Wofford pointed to one man.
“Probably the single greatest influence in my life has been my father,” said Woford. “He served in the South Pacific in the Navy during World War II, and from my earliest childhood memories he was always a member of the Arkansas Army National Guard. I am convinced that the values that he lived by are directly attributable to my early and lasting desire to be a soldier: dedication, commitment, integrity and loyalty. It was the example he lived that probably influenced me the most to serve in the military.”
Wofford attended high school at Subiaco Academy, graduated in 1967 and enrolled at Arkansas Tech.
Shortly after graduating from Tech, Wofford completed the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, Okla., and served on active duty with the 82nd Airborne Division and the 1st Armored Division before returning to his home state and joining the Arkansas National Guard in 1975.
His career in the Guard would give him the wide variety of experiences he would need to one day serve as adjutant general.
Success in a variety of administrative positions at home combined with overseas service during Operation Desert Storm allowed Wofford to climb the ranks. By May 1992, he was a colonel. Nine years later, he attained the rank of brigadier general, and on April 28, 2005, Wofford was promoted to major general.
His lengthy list of honors includes the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters), the Southwest Asia Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Campaign Stars), the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Humanitarian Service Medal.
Wofford has also been recognized by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kuwaiti government, both of which presented him with the Kuwait Liberation Medal in honor of his service during the Gulf War.
In his current role as adjutant general of the Arkansas National Guard, Wofford said that he maintains his focus on the people that he serves alongside.
“The citizens of our state have a right to be proud of the men and women of the Arkansas Army and Air National,” said Wofford. “At a time when our nation is at war, we are blessed to have soldiers and airmen willing to answer the call to duty. They don't consider themselves heroes, but they put their lives, careers and families on hold to deploy to distant lands to do their nation's bidding. Our people are the centerpiece of our organization.”
With that in mind, Wofford stated that it is critical for his organization to provide the people of the Arkansas National Guard with all the support they need.
“During this period of prolonged war and repeat mobilizations of our citizen soldiers, my immediate goal is to concentrate our efforts on two critical issues,” said Wofford. “It is imperative that we ensure the families of our deployed soldiers and airmen receive the support and assistance they need. And it is also critical for the future of the reserve components that we pursue incentives for employers to minimize the impact on their business when guardsmen are deployed. These two issues are vital to maintaining the readiness of our units.”
A member of the Leadership Greater Little Rock Alumni Association, Wofford and his wife of 38 years, Jan Hutcherson Wofford, have two sons: William and Stephen.
