Tommy Stueart – To Protect & Serve

BY JACLYN ROSE –

Senior Corporal Tommy Stueart has given his life to full time civil service.  Born and raised outside of Murfreesboro, Arkansas, Stueart knew from a young age that he wanted to wear a uniform.  He enlisted in the United States Air Force his senior year of high school through the delayed enlistment program.  “Right after I joined the Air Force I knew I wanted to get into law enforcement so I became a Law Enforcement Specialist.  I patrolled the air base just like a civilian patrol man does,” explained Stueart.

After his initial training, Stueart was sent to a remote satellite base in Turkey where he served a year before moving to Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  There he served for eight years and two months into his time when he met his wife, Cindi. They married after a couple months of dating and will celebrate their 42nd wedding anniversary this year.  “It’s so important to be good friends with your spouse, and we are good friends.  We have a daughter, Sonja, and a grandson, Calvin Ayres, who graduates from Acorn High School this spring,” said Stueart.

Stueart had ambitions to serve with the Arkansas State Police but when his initial enlistment with the Air Force was over, they were in the middle of a hiring freeze, so instead he re-enlisted and was stationed in Tokyo, Japan.  After a very nice tour, Stueart was discharged in 1979 and he moved his family back to Arkansas where he served at the Texarkana, Arkansas Police Department until the Arkansas State Police lifted their hiring freeze in 1985.

Stueart began his career with the Arkansas State Police in Little River County, where he worked until transferring to Pine Bluff.  In 1999 he was transferred to Polk County, where he worked until his retirement on April 1, 2015.  “I have never known any life besides a badge and a gun since I was 18 years old.  I have never experienced adult civilian life until April 1 of this year.  I am going to miss the camaraderie the most.  The people I work with are the very best.  The state police, the local police, the Polk County Sherrif’s Office and the Federal guys, we are all one big family.  I also have to say that Rex Smart is one of the finest people I’ve ever known.  He was a great influence on me early in my childhood when he served as ‘The Trooper.’  I’m thankful for his service,” Stueart said.

Stueart’s wife, Cindi, plans on retiring soon from her career as a driver’s license examiner for the Arkansas State Police and the couple plan to enjoy their retirement in Polk County.  “We love Polk County and plan to be here for the duration.  I love the area and the little known secret that Arkansas has mountains.  The people are wonderful and it just feels like home.  As for my retirement, well, I have a long ‘honey do list’ and a lot of home projects I plan to tackle,” said Stueart with a smile.

About Author

Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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