Ronald R. Smith Jr.

Military career

Ronald R. Smith Jr. is a retired United States Army Sergeant First Class who served for more than 21 years as an infantryman, leader, and instructor. His career included four combat deployments to Iraq, training new Soldiers and junior leaders, and supporting domestic emergency response operations. He entered active duty on October 30, 2001, and retired on January 1, 2023.

After completing infantry training at Fort Benning, Georgia, Smith joined the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, at Fort Hood, Texas. Between 2002 and 2010, he advanced from rifleman to team and squad leadership positions and later served in operations and driver training roles. He deployed to Iraq in 2004–2005, 2006–2008, and 2009–2010. He earned the Combat Infantryman Badge for ground combat in April 2004 and developed a driver training program for more than 230 Soldiers.

Smith next served with the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, at Fort Riley, Kansas. His responsibilities included leading infantry teams and supporting Soldiers returning from deployment. During a medical liaison assignment at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany in 2011, he helped coordinate the movement of 253 medically evacuated Soldiers. He earned the Expert Infantryman Badge in 2012 and trained five members of his squad who also earned the badge.

From 2013 to 2015, Smith served as a Drill Sergeant and Senior Drill Sergeant at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, training more than 700 Soldiers across eight basic training cycles. He then became an instructor at the 101st Airborne Division’s leadership academy at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Between 2015 and 2018, he helped train and mentor more than 1,080 prospective and newly promoted sergeants, with a 98 percent graduation rate.

Promoted to Sergeant First Class on April 1, 2018, Smith later served as a platoon sergeant with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. In that role, he led a 39-Soldier team and maintained accountability for more than $6 million in equipment. He returned to Iraq in 2019 for Operation Inherent Resolve, overseeing base defense operations at Al Asad Air Base. His team improved its security response procedures, reducing response time from 12 minutes to four minutes.

Smith completed his career with Task Force 51, U.S. Army North, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he supervised daily operations coordination. He supported COVID-19 response efforts at 13 civilian hospitals across three states and tracked 650 military personnel assigned to Hurricane Ida relief operations. He also mentored a 54-person staff during exercises and domestic response missions.

His military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, eight Army Commendation Medals, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, and the Army Achievement Medal. His badges include the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Drill Sergeant Identification Badge.