Major (Maj.) Daryl A. Taylor:
Maj. Taylor was born in Northern Louisiana and graduated from Redwater High School in Redwater, Texas. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in History, Summa Cum Laude, from Texas A&M University in 2004 and a Juris Doctor, from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 2007. In 2019, she received her Master of Laws in Cybersecurity and Data Privacy, Summa Cum Laude, from Albany Law School. In 2021, she received a Technical Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science, both in Cybersecurity, from Capital Technology University in Laurel, Maryland.
Major Taylor secured a direct commission as a First Lieutenant into the Arkansas Air National Guard on December 14, 2012. She was assigned as an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate for the 189th Airlift Wing, Little Rock Air Force Base, and became the first African Female to serve in this role. The following year, in 2013, she completed the Commissioned Officer Training School and the Judge Advocate Staff Officer Course at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. By correspondence, she completed the Squadron Officer School from Maxwell AFB in 2016.
As the first African American Female Assistant Staff Judge Advocate at the 189th Airlift Wing, she assists in providing legal advice to the wing commander, subordinate commanders, and legal services to over 800 wing members.
In her civilian capacity, Major Taylor serves as the Attorney Advisor for the 189th Airlift Wing. Prior to serving as Attorney Advisor, she was the Managing Attorney with the Professional Licensure Standards Board (PLSB) for the Arkansas Department of Education, and the Assistant City Attorney for Pine Bluff.
Major Taylor said she was motivated to join the military while working as a law clerk for Judge Berlin C. Jones, a retired Jefferson County Circuit Judge in Arkansas. She said, “Judge Jones was an Air Force veteran who served in the Vietnam War. He operated a veteran focused ‘Drug Court’ that served as a drug intervention program within the criminal justice system. I developed wonderful relationships with the Veteran Affairs representatives in support of the Veteran’s Drug Court. These relationships, along with the encouragement of Judge Jones, inspired me to join the military.”
In reflecting back on her humble beginnings, Major Taylor said she calls herself a “mill brat.” She laughingly explained and said, “I call myself a ‘mill brat’ because my father has worked for paper mills my entire life, and with my father’s job, we moved several times within the Tri-state areas of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, so I simply call myself a ‘mill brat’ instead of a military brat.”
Her awards and decorations include the Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Air Force Longevity Service, and Air Force Training Ribbon.
Major Taylor is a member of the Arkansas Bar and admitted to practice law before the United States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals, United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas. She is also a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority, Incorporated.
She enjoys traveling, entertaining and cooking, particularly when it involves smoking meats on her Big Green Egg (BGE) grill. She typically spends her weekends in her backyard around her fire pit.