Michael Smeath

Last updated

 Michael Smeath
BDS Awards Ceremony (52637586200) (cropped).jpg
Smeath in 2023
Born (1967-10-02) 2 October 1967 (age 56)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Air Force
Years of service1989–present
Rank Air Vice-Marshal
Commands held 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.

Contents

Education

Smeath holds a Bachelor of Science from the Open University, a Master of Arts from King's College London, and is a graduate of Deakin University, Canberra. [1]

RAF career

Smeath was commissioned into the Royal Air Force (RAF) on 15 January 1989. [2] He served as officer commanding No. 34 Squadron RAF Regiment. [3] He went on to be Station Commander at RAF Honington in 2014, [4] 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. [5] In February 2020 Smeath was appointed Head of the British Defence Staff and Defence Attaché in Washington, D.C., with effect from August 2020. [6] In January 2023, he was appointed director of the Global Defence Network in the Ministry of Defence; [7] as such, he is head of the UK's military attaché world wide network. [8]

Smeath was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2001 Birthday Honours, [9] and advanced to Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2018 New Year Honours. [10]

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References

  1. "Smeath, Air Vice-Marshal Michael John, (born 2 Oct. 1967), Defence Attaché, Washington, since 2020." WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 1 Dec. 2021
  2. "No. 52254". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 August 1990. p. 13859.
  3. "RAF Leeming squadron rewarded for exceptional service". Harrogate Advertiser. 23 September 2005. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  4. "New station commander at RAF Honington". Bury Free Press. 21 December 2016.
  5. "Ministry of Defence and Tri-Service Senior Appointments" (PDF). September 2011. p. 7. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  6. "Senior Appointments 10 February 2020". raf.mod.uk. Royal Air Force. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  7. "Senior Appointments 2022". Royal Air Force. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  8. "Defence Diplomacy: A softer side of UK Defence". UK Parliament. Defence Sub-Committee. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  9. "No. 56237". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 2001. p. 7.
  10. "No. 62150". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2017. p. N7.
Military offices
Preceded by Head of the British Defence Staff – US and Defence Attaché
2020–2023
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Scott Miller
Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment
2022–present
Incumbent