Lance L. Smith - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

General Lance L. Smith (born September 18, 1946) served as the Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command

United States Joint Forces Command

United States Joint Forces Command was a former Unified Combatant Command of the United States Armed Forces. USJFCOM was a functional command that provided specific services to the military. The last commander was Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno...

, Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....

, and NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation

Allied Command Transformation

Allied Command Transformation is a NATO military command, which was formed in 2003 after North Atlantic Treaty Organisation restructuring....

from November 10, 2005 to November 9, 2007. A highly decorated combat veteran, the general retired from active duty on January 1, 2008.

Gen Smith entered the United States Air Force in 1970 after graduating from Virginia Tech and completing Officer Training School. He served two tours at The Pentagon

The Pentagon

The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...

and was Commandant

Commandant

Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...

of the NATO School at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe

Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe

Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...

, Commandant of Air War College

Air War College

The Air War College is a part of the United States Air Force's Air University, headquartered at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Air University's higher headquarters is Air Education and Training Command headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. The Air War...

, and Vice Commander of Air University. He commanded two fighter wings and led two air expeditionary force deployments to Southwest Asia

Southwest Asia

Western Asia, West Asia, Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia are terms that describe the westernmost portion of Asia. The terms are partly coterminous with the Middle East, which describes a geographical position in relation to Western Europe rather than its location within Asia...

: AEF III and the 4th Air Expeditionary Wing. He flew more than 165 combat mission

Combat mission

Combat mission may refer to:*Military operation, the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation*Combat Mission , the name of a successful series of computer games simulating tactical battles...

s in Southeast and Southwest Asia in the A-1 Skyraider

A-1 Skyraider

The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was an American single-seat attack aircraft that saw service between the late 1940s and early 1980s. It became a piston-powered, propeller-driven anachronism in the jet age, and was nicknamed "Spad", after a French World War I fighter...

and the F-15E Strike Eagle

F-15E Strike Eagle

The McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle is an all-weather multirole fighter, derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. The F-15E was designed in the 1980s for long-range, high speed interdiction without relying on escort or electronic warfare aircraft. United States Air Force F-15E Strike...

. A command pilot, he has more than 3,000 hours in the T-33, T-37, T-38, A-1, A-7, A-10, F-111F, F-15E, and F-16.

Education

1969 Bachelor of Arts degree in business management, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, Virginia
1978 Master of Arts degree in business management, Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan...

, Mount Pleasant
1982 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C...

, Alabama
1990 Army War College, Carlisle Barracks
Carlisle Barracks
Carlisle Barracks is a United States Army facility located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It is part of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and is the site of the U.S. Army War College...

, Pennsylvania
1994 Advanced Executive Program, J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....

, Evanston, Illinois

Assignments

June 1970 - June 1971, student, undergraduate pilot training, Columbus AFB, Mississippi
June 1971 - September 1971, A-1 combat crew training, Hurlburt Field
Hurlburt Field
Hurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...

, Florida
October 1971 - October 1972, A-1 pilot, 1st Special Operations Squadron, Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai AFB, Thailand
October 1972 - July 1973, instructor pilot training, Randolph AFB, Texas
July 1973 - September 1977, instructor pilot and chief, check section, 96th Flying Training Squadron, Williams AFB, Arizona
September 1977 - January 1979, staff officer, Air Staff Training Program, Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
January 1979 - August 1981, student, A-7 Corsair conversion training, A-7D aircraft commander, flight commander and assistant operations officer, 76th Tactical Fighter Squadron, England AFB, Louisiana
August 1981 - June 1982, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
June 1982 - July 1986, Air Staff officer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations; Project Checkmate analyst for interdiction, Europe and Southwest Asia; Air Force team chief, Joint Assessment and Initiative Office, and executive officer to the Air Force Director of Operations, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
July 1986 - July 1989, Chief of Safety, later, Assistant Deputy Commander for Operations, 354th Tactical Fighter Wing, Myrtle Beach AFB, South Carolina
July 1989 - June 1990, student, Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania
June 1990 - August 1992, Commandant, NATO School, SHAPE, Oberammergau, Germany
August 1992 - September 1993, Vice Commander, later, Commander, 27th Fighter Wing, Cannon AFB, New Mexico
September 1993 - June 1995, Assistant Director of Operations, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Virginia
June 1995 - July 1997, Commander, 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina
July 1997 - August 1998, Vice Commander, 7th Air Force and U.S. Air Forces Korea, and Chief of Staff, Combined Republic of Korea and U.S. Air Component Command, Osan Air Base
Osan Air Base
Osan Air Base , is a United States Air Force facility located in the Songtan section of Pyeongtaek City, South Korea, south of Seoul. Despite its name, Osan AB is not within Osan City, which is to the north. The base is the home of the Pacific Air Forces' 51st Fighter Wing, and a number of tenant...

, South Korea
September 1998 - December 1999, Commandant, Air War College, and Vice Commander, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
December 1999 - November 2001, Commander, Air Force Doctrine Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
November 2001 - October 2003, Deputy Commander, United Nations Command; Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces Korea; Commander, Air Component Command, Republic of Korea and U.S. Combined Forces Command; and Commander, 7th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Osan AB, South Korea
October 2003 - November 2005, Deputy Commander, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Florida
November 2005 - November 2007, Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command, and NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation, Norfolk, Virginia

Flight information

Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,000
Aircraft flown: T-33, T-37, T-38, A-1, A-7, A-10, F-111F, F-15E and F-16

Major awards and decorations

Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a United States military award which is presented for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to national security or defense of the United States...

with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
The Air Force Distinguished Service Medal was created by an act of the United States Congress on July 6, 1960. The medal was intended as a new decoration of the United States Air Force to replace the policy of awarding the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Air Force personnel.The Air Force...
Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....

with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Superior Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
The Defense Superior Service Medal is a senior United States military decoration of the Department of Defense, awarded to members of the United States armed forces who perform "superior meritorious service in a position of significant responsibility."...
Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...

with oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...

with combat valor device and two oak leaf clusters
Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969...

with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...

with one silver and four bronze oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
The Aerial Achievement Medal is a decoration of the United States Air Force which was first created in 1988. The decoration is intended to recognize the contributions of aircrew members who would, otherwise, not be qualified for the award of the Air Medal....

with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
The Humanitarian Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States armed forces which was created on January 19, 1977 by President Gerald Ford under...
NATO Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Cross
Meritorious Service Cross
The Meritorious Service Cross is a decoration that is, within the Canadian system of honours, one of the two Meritorious Service Decorations gifted by the Canadian monarch, generally through his or her viceroy-in-Council...

, Military Division (Canada)
Bundeswehr Cross of Honor in Silver
Badge of Honour of the Bundeswehr
The Badge of Honour of the German Armed Forces is a series of military decorations of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany...

(Republic of Germany)
Order of National Security Merit Gugseon Medal (Republic of Korea)
Order of National Security Merit Cheonsu Medal (Republic of Korea)
Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal
The Vietnam Campaign Medal is a military recognition awarded by the Republic of Vietnam, , to any member of the United States, Australian, New Zealand and allied military forces serving six months or more in support of Republic of Vietnam military operations.Established in 1966, the decoration is...
Commemorative Medal of the Slovak Defense Ministry of the First Degree (Slovak Republic)