Colonel JR Howard is a Madison County, Arkansas native and a graduate of the University of Arkansas. He was commissioned in May 1971 as an Arkansas State Trooper assigned to the Highway Patrol Division.

During his 33 year tenure as a State Police officer, Colonel Howard spent more than half his career as an investigator assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division.

In January of 1999 Colonel Howard was assigned to the Director's Staff handling special investigations and before retirement rose to the rank of major, supervising the Enforcement Division at the time which encompassed both the Highway Patrol and Criminal Investigation Sections.

Upon retirement from the State Police in 2004, Colonel Howard was appointed Director of the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory and later accepted the appointment as U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Arkansas.