# Lance L. Smith

Lance L. Smith (born September 18, 1946) is a retired United States Air Force general who last served as the Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia, and NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation from November 10, 2005, to November 9, 2007. 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 served two tours at The Pentagon and was Commandant of the NATO School at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Commandant of Air War College, and Vice Commander of Air University. 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. A command pilot, he has more than 3,000 hours in various military aircraft.

## 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, Mount Pleasant
* 1982 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
* 1990 Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania
* 1994 Advanced Executive Program, J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, 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, 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, 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

* Air Force Command Pilot Badge
* United States Joint Forces Command Badge
* Allied Command Transformation Badge
* Defense Distinguished Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
* Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
* Silver Star with two oak leaf clusters
* Defense Superior Service Medal
* Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
* Distinguished Flying Cross with two bronze oak leaf clusters and Valor V
* Purple Heart
* Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
* Air Medal (10 awards in total)
* Air Medal
* Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
* Air Force Commendation Medal
* Army Commendation Medal
* Air Force Presidential Unit Citation
* Joint Meritorious Unit Award
* Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters and Valor V
* Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
* Combat Readiness Medal
* National Defense Service Medal with two bronze service stars
* Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with service star
* Vietnam Service Medal with three service stars
* Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
* Korea Defense Service Medal
* Armed Forces Service Medal
* Humanitarian Service Medal
* Air and Space Campaign Medal
* Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon with oak leaf cluster
* Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon
* Air Force Longevity Service Award with one silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
* Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
* Air Force Training Ribbon
* Bundeswehr Cross of Honor in Silver (Republic of Germany)
* Order of National Security Merit (Korea), Gugseon Medal
* Order of National Security Merit (Korea), Cheon-Su Medal
* Meritorious Service Cross, Military Division (Canada)
* Commemorative Medal of the Slovak Defense Ministry of the First Degree (Slovak Republic)
* Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
* NATO Meritorious Service Medal
* Vietnam Campaign Medal

## Effective dates of promotion

* Second Lieutenant May 18, 1970
* First Lieutenant November 11, 1971
* Captain October 18, 1973
* Major December 4, 1978
* Lieutenant Colonel February 1, 1982
* Colonel July 1, 1989
* Brigadier General July 1, 1995
* Major General April 1, 1998
* Lieutenant General January 1, 2002
* General November 7, 2005