A highly decorated combat veteran, the general retired from active duty on January 1, 2008.

Smith entered the United States Air Force in 1970 after graduating from Virginia Tech and completing Officer Training School.

He commanded two fighter wings and led two air expeditionary force deployments to Southwest Asia: AEF III and the 4th Air Expeditionary Wing.

He flew more than 165 combat missions in Southeast and Southwest Asia in the A-1 Skyraider and the F-15E Strike Eagle.

This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force