Michael Smeath | |
|---|---|
 Smeath in 2023 | |
| Born | 2 October 1967 |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1989–present |
| Rank | Air Vice-Marshal |
| Commands | RAF Regiment RAF Honington No. 34 Squadron RAF Regiment |
| Battles / wars | Gulf War Bosnian War Iraq War War in Afghanistan |
| Awards | Commander of the Order of the British Empire |
Air Vice-Marshal Michael John Smeath, CBE (born 2 October 1967) is a senior Royal Air Force officer.
Smeath was born on 2 October 1967 in Woking, Surrey, England. [1]
He attended the William Alvey CE Primary School in Sleaford. [2] He grew up on Hervey Road, [3] and attended Sleaford Secondary Modern School, where he took part in competitive cross country running, and tennis, [4] [5] and competed in cross country running at Lincoln College of Technology, which he left in 1986. [6] He competed at 800 metres in 1986. [7]
He undertook a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in international studies with the Open University, graduating in 2006. [1] [8] The same year, he completed a Master of Arts degree in war studies via King's College London. [1] He later studied at Deakin University, Canberra, graduating with an MA in strategic studies. [9]
Smeath joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) as an aircraft propulsion engineer in 1987. [8] He rose to the rank of senior aircraftman, before being selected for officer training in 1990. [1] [8] He had worked on the Nimrod at RAF St Mawgan. [10]
Having attended the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, [1] he was commissioned on 21 June 1990 as a pilot officer, with seniority in that rank from 15 January 1989. [11] He served as officer commanding No. 34 Squadron RAF Regiment. [12] In October 1994, he was one of a group of five, taken hostage for five days. [13]
He went on to be Station Commander at RAF Honington in 2014, [14] Liaison Officer to the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee in July 2017 and Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Defence Staff in August 2018. [15] In February 2020 Smeath was appointed Head of the British Defence Staff and Defence Attaché in Washington, D.C., with effect from August 2020. [16] In January 2023, he was appointed director of the Global Defence Network in the Ministry of Defence; [17] as such, he is head of the UK's military attaché world wide network. [18]
Smeath was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2001 Birthday Honours, [19] and advanced to Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2018 New Year Honours. [20]