Sean M. Smith, Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School class of 1991 and Edgartown native, is accomplishing much in his professional Army career.
Mr. Smith was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel on April 5 in a ceremony officiated by Major General Genaro J. Dellarocco, the Commanding General of the United States Army Test and Evaluation Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
Lieutenant Colonel Smith, who previously served as Major General Dellarocco’s aide, is currently assigned to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics at the Pentagon, according to a press release.
Mr. Smith is the son of Michael and Lucie Smith of Edgartown.
Lt. Colonel Smith, his wife Shantel, and their two children, Ryan and Savannah, live in Churchville, Maryland.
He is a 1996 graduate of Norwich University, the Military College of Vermont. He also holds a Master’s degree in acquisition and contract management from the Florida Institute of Technology.
His previous assignments included a tour of duty in the Republic of Korea and deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Over the years, The Times has provided regular updates on Islanders in uniform. In December 2006, The Times conducted an email interview with then Major Smith from his base in Iraq where he was an Army advisor to the Iraqi Department of Border Enforcement.
Mr. Smith told The Times he was inspired to seek a career in the military by the example of members of his family, including his father, a career noncommissioned officer in the Army who served three tours in Vietnam (1966-69), and his uncle, Nelson Smith of Edgartown who was a Seabee in World War II.
“I think I’ve always felt obligated to serve,” Mr. Smith told The Times in 2006. “My mother came to the United States in 1968 from Vietnam following the death of her first husband as a result of the war. Through her eyes I can truly appreciate the things we, as Americans, take for granted. Many of us have forgotten that we should give something back to our nation. It is a special place, a unique place, really. For all the flaws of America, and Americans, I think I’m safe in saying that we have it better than most people in the world. I’d rather take some pride in knowing I’ve done something productive and selfless with my time, rather than go through life complaining about the state of things while sitting on my hands. As a teenager my goal was to be an NCO like my father, but my parents encouraged me to pursue a college degree and enter the military as a commissioned officer. I’m glad they pushed me in this direction because my career has been varied and very rewarding.”
