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Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld announced that the President has nominated U. S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Lance L. Smith for appointment to the rank of general with assignment as commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, Va. NATO has also agreed to appoint Smith as Supreme Allied Commander Transformation. Smith is currently serving as the deputy commander, U.S. Central Command. (WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oct. 19, 2005) -- Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced today that President George W. Bush has nominated Air Force Lt. Gen. Lance L. Smith for appointment to the rank of general with assignment as commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM). Headquartered in Norfolk, Va, USJFCOM is one of nine unified commands in the Department of Defense. Pending confirmation by the U.S. Senate, the general will oversee the command's roles in transformation, experimentation, joint training, interoperability and force provision and management as outlined in the Department of Defense's Unified Command Plan. USJFCOM is a force of more than 1.16 million dedicated men and women, spanning USJFCOM's four service component commands and eight subordinate activities. USJFCOM personnel include members from each branch of the U.S. military, civil servants, contract employees, and consultants. NATO has also agreed to appoint Smith as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander-Transformation. Lt. Gen. Smith currently serves as the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command. A graduate of Virginia Tech, Lt. Gen. Smith is a native of Washington D.C., and graduated from Officer's Training School in 1970. His career has included more than seven years in command including 7th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces and Air Component Commander, Republic of Korea and U.S. Combined Forces Command Korea. The general also served two tours at the Pentagon and was commandant of the NATO School at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, commandant of the Air War College and commander of the Air Force Doctrine Center. The general has flown 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 the T-33 Shooting Star, T-37 Tweet, T-38 Talon, A-1, A-7 Corsair, A-10 Thunderbolt, F-111F Aardvark, F-15E and F-16 Falcon. The general's military decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart. |
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