Brigadier General Homer A. Smith is the chief of staff, Headquarters, Ohio Air National Guard, Beightler Armory, Columbus, Ohio. He reports to the assistant adjutant general for Air- Ohio and assists in coordinating policy, guidance, and the direction of the Ohio Air National Guard and it's over 5,000 members, four flying wings, and four Geographically separated units. In addition to these duties, Brigadier General Smith is dual-hatted to the United States Air Force as an assistant to the Air Staff, in the Air Force Security Forces office at the Pentagon, and provides guidance on the issues, programs, and policies that affect the United States Air Force and the Air Force Reserve Component Security Forces.
General Smith enlisted in the 907th Civil Engineering Flight, Air Force Reserve, Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Ohio, in October 1971. Following Air Force Basic Training and Technical Training, he returned to his Air Force Reserve unit in April 1972. He received a direct commission in September 1978, and later transferred from the Air Force Reserve to the Ohio Air National Guard, 178th Civil Engineering Flight, Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport, in August 1981. While serving with the 178th Fighter Wing he was named the base civil engineer and later became the Civil Engineering Squadron commander. In 1994, General Smith was selected as the 121st Air Refueling Wing Support Group commander and transferred to Columbus, Ohio where he was responsible for the master planning of the consolidation and transition of facilities for the 121st Air Refueling Wing to meet the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) redirection activities for the 121st Air Refueling Wing. He was selected as the director of support for the Headquarters, Ohio Air National Guard and transferred to the Headquarters, Ohio Air National Guard in October 1997. In this position General Smith was responsible for providing guidance on policies, plans, and programs for the support areas of the Ohio Air National Guard, to include security forces squadrons, civil engineering squadrons, communication flights, personnel flights, and the services flights at Ohio's four flying units, and he provided assistance to the communications group and squadrons at the four geographically separated units. While serving as director of support, General Smith was detailed, in November 2001, as a federal executive officer to the Lt Governor of Ohio, to become the first deputy director of Homeland Security for the State of Ohio and served in this capacity until his promotion to the rank of Brigadier General in June 2002. General Smith was selected as the chief of staff, Ohio Air National Guard in January 2004.
1967 Associates degree in Engineering, Sinclair Community College, Dayton
1973 Bachelor of science degree in Industrial Design, Ohio State University,
Columbus, Oh.
1987 Squadron Officers School, by correspondence.
1991 Air Command and Staff College, by joint seminar.
1994 Air War College, by joint seminar.
1. September 1978 - August 1981, civil engineering officer, 907th Civil
Engineering Flight, Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Oh.
2. August 1981 - July 1985, civil engineering staff officer, 178th Civil
Engineering Flight, Springfield, Oh.
3. July 1985 - October 1991, civil engineering staff officer, 178th Civil
Engineering squadron, Springfield, Oh.
4. October 1991 - August 1994, commander, 178th Civil Engineering Squadron,
Springfield, Oh.
5. August 1994 - October 1997, commander, 121st Support Group, Rickenbacker Air
National Guard Base, Oh.
6. October 1997 - January 2004, director of support, Headquarters, Ohio Air
National Guard, Columbus, Oh.
7. January 2004 - to present, chief of staff, Headquarters, Ohio Air National
Guard, Columbus, Oh.
Meritorious Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with one silver and one bronze oak leaf
clusters
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with one hourglass device
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with bronze service star
Air Force Training Ribbon
Ohio Commendation Medal w/ oak leaf cluster
Second Lieutenant Sep 22, 1978
First Lieutenant Dec 23, 1980
Captain Jan 18, 1983
Major Oct 2, 1987
Lieutenant Colonel Nov 7, 1992
Colonel Nov 7, 1995
Brigadier General Jun 1, 2002
(Current as of June 2005)
The date of publication indicated on this biography reflects the most recent update. It does not necessarily reflect the date of printing.