Defense Face: From the Field of Battle to the Classroom

The United States was the target of a devastating terrorist attack on its own soil more than 20 years ago. It was a day marked by tragedy and confusion that marred the country. However, it was also a pivotal time that gave rise to new service members, such as 1st Lt. Air Force Mr. Troy Smith was forced to defend his nation and fellow Americans.

Smith was a senior in high school in Everett, Washington, during those gloomy times. Despite being a student on the other side of the country, he was deeply familiar with the attack and wanted to contribute to its prevention.  

He had an early exposure to the world of aircraft and machinery because his father worked for Boeing and his best friend’s father was working on F-16s and F-22s at Lockheed Martin. He also knew early on that he would want a career that combined the two fields.  

Smith enrolled at the University of Texas after graduating from high school. He was thinking a lot one day as he was walking around campus. One caught his attention among the conversations and laughter going on around him. A few Army Reserve Officers Training Corps cadets were chatting about their exciting day just a few steps ahead.  

Smith claimed that they were describing their use of M16s for shooting, helicopter rides, and tower rappelling. ” I found it hard to believe; I had no intention of doing anything else. I desired to serve as a soldier. ”  

So he started his military odyssey.  

Young, Healthy, and Prepared to Fight 

His parents moved to North Carolina while he was attending college in Texas. With them, he made his way back home while deliberating his course of action. He went in search of a recruiter not long after his arrival.  

Smith remarked,” I had a clear idea of who I wanted to be when I went to my local recruiting office.” ” I expressed my desire to work as a combat medic, firefighter, or Black Hawk crew chief. They told me there was n’t a need for those jobs and instead showed me this gripping, action-packed video of men riding tanks with objects blowing up all around them and sneaking around with binoculars. I was hired. ”  

Smith was a fighting-ready young man.  

Smith had enlisted as a forward observer in the North Carolina Army National Guard by 2003. He quickly enrolled full-time at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte while carrying out his National Guard duties, balancing his military commitment and educational goals.  

His ambition yearned for a more authoritative position, one where he could metaphorically “quarterback” operations from the sky, despite the fact that his role as an forward observer held its own intrigue. He wanted to switch from artillery to aviation in order to have a more significant impact on the dynamics of the battlefield, driven by his unwavering passion for aircraft and machinery.  

He successfully completed airborne school in his second year at UNC Charlotte, and by his junior year, he had earned a Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty Scholarship after completing the Army ROTC cadet summer camp.  

He earned his psychology bachelor’s degree in 2007 and was enlisted in the North Carolina National Guard.  

Decisions and deployments 

After receiving his commission, the thought of going to aviation school weighed heavily on him. Smith felt confined by the two-year waitlist at the school. He felt uneasy as he saw his close friends getting ready to go to Iraq. Making a difficult choice, he switched from aviation to artillery and assumed the position of fire support officer. He spent about a year in Iraq, holding onto the hope that this detour would n’t make him give up on his desire to fly.  

Smith praised,” Thankfully, my decision was respected.” ” I was urged to resubmit my package to become an aviation officer when I returned from my deployment in 2010.” My heart, however, was leading me in the right direction—to become a warrant officer. ”  

Smith joined the North Carolina National Guard State Aviation Office in 2016 and changed from warrant officer to operations and training officer. He assumed the duty of organizing, planning, and supervising state-level aviation operations and training in this capacity. He actively contributed to the creation of improved air mission request processes and forms to increase efficiency and eliminate redundancy while acting as the aviation subject matter expert and offering guidance and support. By developing a brand-new flight and mission tracker, he also went above and beyond.  

Smith set aside time to further his education despite having a lot of obligations. He graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2017 with an honors degree in master of science with a concentration in aeronautics and human factors. This success not only demonstrated his dedication to ongoing education but also made him a significant aviation industry leader.  

Smith had to reevaluate his priorities in 2018 in light of a planned year-long deployment to Afghanistan, which included his wife and two young children.  

on the nbsp and homefront;

Smith said,” Kids have a way of changing your priorities.” ” After that deployment, I made it clear to everyone in my unit that my focus would be on my children.” I was still willing to deploy as needed, but it would n’t be for longer than a year or more at once. ”  

Smith put his family first and accepted a full-time civilian job at Fort Novosel, formerly Fort Rucker, Alabama, where he worked as an instructor pilot for the North Carolina National Guard’s AH-64D Apache Longbow and the UH-72 Lakota.  

He received numerous accolades and credentials in these positions, including graduation from the pilot instructor program and his Fundamentals of Instruction certification. He also worked as a simulator instructor, unit trainer, and instructor of aircrew coordination training. Smith has graduated from the High-Altitude Army Aviation Training Site and the Aviation Mission Survivability Officer Course honor.

I was still traveling to Raleigh for my NCNG drills when I first moved to Fort Novosel, Fort Rucker at the time, according to Smith. The extensive travel, personal costs, and the requirement to take time off from work “became intolerable over time.” ”  

Smith started to consider his options, and Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama seemed like a good fit. He was able to stay nearer to his family and his civilian job by enlisting in the 908th Airlift Wing.  

He enlisted in the 908th Maintenance Squadron in 2021 with the intention of working as a C-130 Hercules maintainer. His goal was to acquire new skills that would be useful if he ever found himself unable to fly.  

Smith recalled,” Upon my arrival, I was informed that the C-130s ‘ presence would soon be phased out, making avionics school a waste of time.” The 908th was undergoing remissioning and would act as the unit for the MH-139A training squadron, I was then told. ”  

Taking Flight with the Air Force Reserve;nbsp;

Smith’s leadership advised him that he could better serve the wing as a member of the 908th Program Integration Office after learning about his experience in both his civilian job and the North Carolina Army National Guard. The 908th Airlift Wing must safely and effectively transition from a tactical C-130 mission to the Department of Defense’s official training unit for the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter, and the PIO is in charge of collaborating with leaders to make this happen.  

Smith found it easier to stick with a single airframe and service than it was to navigate between two different airframes and different branches of service. He decided to enlist in the Air Force Reserve and start flying again after consulting their advice.  

Smith joined the 357th Airlift Squadron after being commissioned, where he served as the PIO’s subject matter expert for the curriculum and syllabus of the MH-139A. Current operations, in-flight guides, local procedures, courseware, fielding, and other related tasks fall under his purview.  

He acknowledged,” I think it’s cool that I was given the task of being a part of the PIO because I have an extensive understanding of some of everything that is going on.” ” I’m honored to take part in such a significant project and offer some suggestions for how we should conduct ourselves here. ”  

Smith recently gave up teaching the UH-72s’ fundamental warfighter skills course at Fort Novosel and adopted the new title of one of the first MH-139A instructor pilots.  

It’s satisfying, Smith smiled as he invested in someone and watched them develop. ” My true joy as a teacher comes from using my knowledge and experience to mentor someone and see their development.” ”  

Smith, a truly multi-talented airman, is getting ready to assume the position of one of the first instructors for the MH-139A helicopter. He is a highly valuable asset in the field because of his depth of experience and expertise in helicopters, which give him the ability to navigate this transition while being armed with many perspectives that go beyond the norm.  

Smith had been unknowingly preparing for this moment for years. His life was completely changed by a single act of faith. He has dedicated more than 20 years to becoming the multi-talented, well-rounded airman he is today, the epitome of unwavering dedication and enduring commitment.  

Smith remarked,” Some people are born warfighters, but I feel like I am a teacher.” He sincerely stated,” I’m not God’s gift to aviation or anything like that.” I simply care deeply about what I do. “”