Meritorious Service Medal
- Awarded on: November 12, 2003
- Invested on: November 26, 2004
Rank: Lieutenant-Colonel
Lieutenant-Colonel Smith was the commanding officer of the first Canadian Tactical Airlift Detachment deployed during Operation APOLLO from January to July 2002. He led the first ever six-month deployment of a CC130 Hercules Air Detachment into an austere desert airfield over 17,000 kilometres away and from which his crews flew almost daily into Afghanistan. Lieutenant-Colonel Smith’s exceptional management skills and personal example were directly responsible for the unit’s outstanding mission completion rate and unblemished safety record. Under his brilliant leadership, the unit served as an essential link in the air bridge, which sustained coalition and Canadian troops engaged in combat in Afghanistan, bringing great credit to the Canadian Forces and to Canada.