<<<Back to Table of Contents
Fact File
Born: Fort Ord, CA.
Family: Dad’s retired Army (Field Artillery and Foreign Area officer); Mom’s an RN. I’m the eldest of four. Met my husband William L. Smith (he goes by Len) in college, at Army ROTC. No kids.
Age: 44
School: Germany (grades 1-3); Virginia/California (grades 4-7); Lisbon, Portugal (grades 8-10); Carlisle, PA (11th grade). Graduated Zama American HS, Camp Zama, Japan in 1983.
In hindsight, I got a great education – and learned a lot about my own country by living outside of it.
College: Texas State University (formerly Southwest Texas State).
Career: We were both selected to work full-time for the Texas National Guard in 1989. My first deployment was in 2006, as a Colonel, to the Balkans as the Deputy Commander for Civil-Military Operations for the U.S. Kosovo Force operation.
Q&A:
Why did you join the military?
When I left for college, I wasn’t going to have anything to do with the military. Then, one day, I found myself at the ROTC building. As soon as I walked in, I was among people just like me; military brats can pick each other out at 30 paces … The cadets and instructors became like a family to me.
Daily Life
In Iraq, I live in a trailer and work in a palace. Quite literally, I work in Al-Faw Palace, which Saddam Hussein had built. When I look up, I see the intricate plasterwork ceilings and elaborate fake-gold chandeliers. It’s surrounded by man-made lakes that use water from the Tigris River.
I live in a CHU – a Containerized Housing Unit. It’s a trailer divided into sections, with a bed, nightstand and wardrobe. Due to my rank, I have a wet CHU – which means I share a built-in bathroom with another female officer. Those in dry CHUs must trek to toilet/shower trailers. I clean my own room, but I haven’t done laundry or the dishes since I arrived. I could get used to that part of the deployment!
Despite the amenities, the toll being deployed takes is the sense of separation from family and small everyday decisions that you aren’t actively part of.
Lessons I’ve Learned:
Long Distance & Marriage
We Skype three times a week, but I’ve realized how much I rely on his presence, his friendship, his calming influence, his love and attention. After eight months here, I still catch myself turning to share something with him.
You can’t fight long distance, especially over the internet. It’s imperative that we give each other the benefit of the doubt.
Living Overseas & Patriotism
The United States is a compelling force in the world. People either love it, or hate it (and I’ve met both kinds), but few are indifferent. In spite of its critics, internal and external, and in spite of the many great attributes I value about other places in the world, I thank God I was born an American.
Time is Precious
The Army really does insists on doing more before 9 a.m. than most people do all day…Time is a resource we can’t manufacture enough of. Despite knowing this, I tend to run my life with little yellow sticky notes. Drives Len crazy.
Leadership & Trusting your Own Judgment
For a long time I was convinced that I had to approve every decision for the organization to be successful. My new goal is to make myself expendable. It’s a very different leadership trait.
I have doubts every day, yet I have confidence in my values, and I steer by them. I am always the first to acknowledge my mistake, correct it if I can, and try not to do it again.
Glass Ceilings
If you’re hitting a glass ceiling, it’s because you are focused on it, and you’ll run into that obstacle every time. Re-focus your sights on the objective you want to achieve and you’ll be able to navigate around the obstacles in your path. Being clear about what you want takes a degree of self-assessment that not everyone is comfortable with.
Women in the Military
I work in a largely male environment but have never felt excluded or handicapped for being a woman… I’m particularly impressed by many of the women that I’ve worked with in the National Guard. By the time they’re senior officers or NCOs, chances are they are also heavy-hitters in their civilian professions. Balancing that with family takes tremendous commitment. Ironically, their own standards of excellence can limit their continued participation in all the areas where they have excelled so far, namely military, civilian career and family.
Who I Am
An extreme extrovert, drawing energy from others. I think out loud, which overwhelms many. Talking when I should be listening is a fault I am keenly aware of. My strengths are that I see interdependencies and relationships between things that others may not. I’ve been called a "change agent.” I like solving problems and getting the mission accomplished.
Tex-Mex is a Spiritual Thing.
Trust me, when you’ve been deprived of good Tex-Mex for a year, you’ll understand.
Q: How would you sum up your job?
A: I play devil's advocate.