James E. Smith (general)

James E. Smith
James E. Smith
	Official portrait, 2023
Born	January 10, 1973; Boise, Idaho, U.S.
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Air Force United States Space Force;
Years of service	1997–2021 (Air Force) 2021–present (Space Force);
Rank	Brigadier General
Commands held	Peterson-Schriever Garrison (now Space Base Delta 1) 50th Space Wing; Air Force Element, RAF Menwith Hill; 1st Range Operations Squadron;
Awards	Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit;
Alma mater	United States Air Force Academy (BS) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MS);
Signature

James Earl Smith[1] (born January 10, 1973) is a United States Space Force brigadier general who serves as the assistant deputy chief of space operations for operations, cyber, and nuclear. He previously served as the deputy United States military representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.[2] He was previously the commander of the 50th Space Wing before it was inactivated and replaced by the Peterson-Schriever Garrison.[3] He was also nominated for transfer to the U.S. Space Force[4] and promotion to brigadier general.[5]

Smith was commissioned in 1997 as the top graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. His operations experience includes directing range support for launch operations from the Eastern Range, Cape Canaveral, Fla., and providing command and control for national reconnaissance and Global Positioning System spacecraft.[2] He transferred to the U.S. Space Force in April 2021.

Education

Smith as a cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy

1991 graduate of Meridian High School in Meridian, Idaho[6]
1997 Bachelor of Science, Astronautical Engineering and Japanese language minor, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1999 Master of Science, Aeronautics and Astronautics, Mass. Institute of Technology, Cambridge
2001 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2003 Air Force Intern Program, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
2003 Certificate Program, Organizational Management, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. by correspondence
2010 Master of Airpower Art and Science, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2012 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2017 Master of Science, National Resource Strategy, Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, Washington, D.C.
2018 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill[2]

Assignments

Smith speaks with Maj Gen Whiting at a mentoring event, 2020

Smith speaks after relinquishing command of Peterson-Schriever Garrison in 2021

1. May 1997 - May 1999, Graduate Student and Charles Stark Draper Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
2. May 1999 - June 2002, Spacecraft Systems Engineer and Chief, GPS Spacecraft Systems Analysis, 2nd Space Operations Squadron, Schriever AFB, Colo.
3. June 2002 - June 2003, Intern, Air Force Intern Program, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
4. July 2003 - May 2006, Chief, Space Control Demonstration Operations Flight and Wing Executive Officer, Space Superiority Materiel Wing, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
5. June 2006 - June 2008, Chief, Space Operations Division and Assistant Operations Officer, Space Operations Squadron, Aerospace Data Facility - Colorado, Buckley AFB, Colo.
6. July 2009 - June 2010, Student, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
7. July 2010 - July 2012, Chief, Mission Area Architecting Branch, Directorate of Requirements, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo. (January 2012 - June 2012, Program Manager and Acting Commander, Defense Contract Management Agency-Northern Afghanistan, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan)
8. August 2012 - May 2014, Commander, 1st Range Operations Squadron, Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla.
9. May 2014 - May 2015, Assistant Executive Officer to the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
10. June 2015 - June 2016, Chief, Air Force and Air Defense Security Assistance Team, Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq, U.S. Embassy, Baghdad, Iraq
11. July 2016 - June 2017, Student, Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
12. June 2017 – June 2019, Commander, Air Force Element, and Chief, Mission Operations & Engineering, RAF Menwith Hill, United Kingdom.
13. June 2019 – July 2020, Commander, 50th Space Wing, Schriever AFB, Colo.
14. July 2020 – June 2021, Commander, Peterson-Schriever Garrison, Peterson AFB, Colo. 14. July 2021 – July 2023, Deputy U.S. Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee, NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium
15. July 2023 – Present, Assistant Deputy Chief of Space Operations, Operations, Cyber, and Nuclear, Headquarters, United States Space Force, Washington D.C.[2]

Awards and decorations

Smith is the recipient of the following awards:[2]

	Command Space Operations Badge
	Senior Acquisitions and Financial Management Badge
	Air Staff Badge

	Defense Superior Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Legion of Merit
	Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
	Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Achievement Medal
	Joint Meritorious Unit Award
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four bronze oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with two bronze oak leaf cluster
	National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
	Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one bronze service star
	Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal with one bronze service star
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon
	Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon and one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold frame and one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Air Force Longevity Service Award with one silver and one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Air Force Training Ribbon
	NATO Medal

Writings

Application of Optimization Techniques to the Design and Maintenance of Satellite Constellations (PDF) (M.S.). School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. June 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 2, 2021.
One Size Fits? All Assessment of the National Space based Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Strategy (PDF) (M.S.). Massachusetts Institute of Technology. October 25, 1999. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 2, 2021.

Dates of promotion


Rank	Branch	Date
Second Lieutenant	Air Force	May 28, 1997
First Lieutenant		May 28, 1999
Captain		May 28, 2001
Major		November 1, 2006
Lieutenant Colonel		December 1, 2011
Colonel		May 1, 2016
Colonel	Space Force	~September 30, 2020
Brigadier General	Space Force	July 3, 2022

References

Polaris (PDF). Vol. XXXIX. Colorado Springs, Colorado: United States Air Force Academy. 1997. p. 361. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
"Brigadier James E. Smith". United States Space Force. August 2021. Archived from the original on November 9, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
"50th SW Changes Command". Schriever Air Force Base. June 25, 2019. Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
"PN2172 — Space Force". United States Congress. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
"PN44 — Space Force". United States Congress. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
"Boise native confirmed as Space Force brigadier general". ktvb.com. March 26, 2021. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.

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[yearbook-1] Polaris (PDF). Vol. XXXIX. Colorado Springs, Colorado: United States Air Force Academy. 1997. p. 361. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[biography-2] "Brigadier James E. Smith". United States Space Force. August 2021. Archived from the original on November 9, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.

[assumption-3] "50th SW Changes Command". Schriever Air Force Base. June 25, 2019. Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[transfer-4] "PN2172 — Space Force". United States Congress. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[promotion-5] "PN44 — Space Force". United States Congress. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[6] "Boise native confirmed as Space Force brigadier general". ktvb.com. March 26, 2021. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.