Tammy Smith

Tammy Smith
Born 1963 (age 52–53)
Oakland, Oregon
Allegiance  United States of America
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service 1986 - present
Rank Brigadier General
Battles/wars

Operation Enduring Freedom

Awards Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal

Tammy Smith (born c. 1963) is a Brigadier General of the U.S. Army Reserve. Smith was nominated to the Brigadier General position on 10 May 2012,[1] and was formally promoted to the position in a private ceremony at the Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. She currently serves as the Commanding General of the 98th Training Division (Initial Entry Training),[2][3] and served for a year in the Afghanistan War.

Career

Smith is a native of Oakland, Oregon, graduating from Oakland High School. She was active in many activities but attributes her interest in both the practice and study of leadership to her participation in the Future Farmers of America (FFA). Her FFA advisor was a dynamic, enthusiastic high school agriculture teacher who taught his students both how to dream and how to set goals. He also taught his students to knuckle down and do the work required to achieve those goals. While in FFA, she participated in both prepared and extemporaneous public speaking competitions as well as maintaining various livestock projects. Smith delayed college for one year after graduating high school to serve as the State Reporter for the Oregon FFA Association. In this role she traveled the state as an FFA representative, conducting leadership camps and speaking at FFA chapters about leadership and goal setting.

Smith was recipient of a four-year Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship and graduated from the University of Oregon in 1986. She was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps. During her 26-year military career she has served as a Platoon Leader, 193d Support Battalion, Fort Clayton, Panama; Logistic Support Detachment Commander, Task Force 36, "Exercise Camino De La Paz", Costa Rica; Bravo Company Commander, 3-28th Infantry Battalion (Basic Combat Training), Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Brigade S-4, 1st Brigade (Basic Combat Training), Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Senior Supply Company Observer/Controller, Forward Support Battalion Team, Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, Louisiana; Delta Company Commander, 1-321st Infantry Battalion (Basic Combat Training), Fort Jackson, South Carolina; S-1/S-4, Headquarters, Reserve Officer Training Brigade, Charlotte, North Carolina; S-3, 3-321st Infantry Battalion (Basic Combat Training), Clemson, South Carolina; Mobilization Planner, 99th Regional Readiness Command, Oakdale, Pennsylvania; Secretary to the General Staff, 99th Regional Readiness Command, Coraopolis, Pennsylvania; Readiness Staff Officer, Department of the Army G-3 (DAMO-ODR), The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.; Operations Officer, Office of the Chief, Army Reserve, Arlington, Virginia; Chief, General Officer Management Office, Office of the Chief, Army Reserve, Arlington, Virginia; Chief, Army Reserve Affairs, United States Forces-Afghanistan (USFOR-A), Operation Enduring Freedom. Prior to assignment as the Director, she served again as Chief, General Officer Management Office and was dual-hatted as Director, Senior Leader Development Office for the Army Reserve.

Smith currently serves as director of the Army Reserve Human Capital for the United States Army Reserve. She is responsible for integrating strategic human resources policy with operational requirements to improve and sustain long-term personnel readiness across the United States Army Reserve. The Army Reserve maintains an end-strength of 205,000 soldiers; the all-volunteer Army Reserve directly supports the Army and Joint Force missions.

During Smith's promotion ceremony, Tracey Hepner, co-founder of the Military Partners and Families Coalition, pins her wife’s first star to her shoulder.

Smith holds a Doctor of Management degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Phoenix and is a member of the Delta Mu Delta International Business Honor Society. Her research focus was executive leadership and senior leader transitions into new organizations. She holds a Masters of Arts in Management from Webster University. She also holds a Masters in Strategic Studies as a graduate of the United States Army War College.[4]

The majority of Smith’s work history prior to assignment as Director, Human Capital Core Enterprise has been as an Active Component officer and member of the Active/Guard and Reserve Program. She and her spouse Tracey Hepner are active in volunteer military family support events in the Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia area.

Awards and accolades

Smith’s awards and decorations include':[4] Legion of Merit Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medals (two oak leaf clusters), Army Commendation Medals (four oak leaf clusters), Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Combat Action Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Parachute Rigger Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge.

Personal background

Smith, right, and her partner, Hepner, attend the second annual Knights Out Dinner at the U.S. Military Academy

Smith married Tracey Hepner on 31 March 2012, in a ceremony at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. The ceremony was officiated by a military chaplain. The District of Columbia began recognizing same-sex marriages in 2010,[5] but because Smith was in the Army she could not enter into a marriage until after Don't ask, don't tell was repealed. She is the first openly-gay U.S. flag officer to come out while serving since the repeal of the policy.[6]

Hepner, co-founded the Military Partners and Families Coalition, a national military family organization that provides support, education, resources and advocacy for lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender military partners and their families. On 11 February 2013, Hepner was announced as a personal guest of First Lady Michelle Obama for the 2013 State of the Union Address.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "General Officer Announcements" (Press release). Department of Defense. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
  2. ↑ Jones, Irisha. "Brigadier Gen. Tammy Smith takes command of 98th Training Division at Fort Benning". www.wtvm.com. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
  3. ↑ Kirkland, Danielle Wallingsford. "New 98th Training Division commander looks to 'set conditions for success' | Article | The United States Army". www.army.mil. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
  4. 1 2 "Brigadier General Tammy S. Smith, Director, Army Reserve Human Capital Core Enterprise". U.S. Army Reserve. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  5. ↑ Gresko, Jessica (3 March 2010). "Same-Sex Marriage Becomes Legal in DC". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 3 March 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  6. ↑ Shane, Leo III (10 August 2012). "Smith Becomes First Openly-Gay General Officer". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  7. ↑ Jackman, Tom (11 February 2013). "Tracey Hepner to Sit with First Lady for State of the Union". Washington Post. Retrieved 11 February 2013.

Further reading

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