Commander Elizabeth Smith is a native of Jacksonville, North Carolina. She enlisted in the United States Navy in 1991 and completed basic training at the Recruit Training Command in Orlando, Florida. During the ensuing nine years, she served as a Dental Technician and Medical Department Administrative Technician at Naval Dental Center, Orlando, Florida, 2nd Dental Battalion, Camp Lejeune, NC, Naval School of Dental Assisting and Technology, San Diego, CA and Naval Dental Center, Great Lakes, IL.
Commander Smith was selected for commissioning in the Medical Service Corps in May 2000 under the In-Service Procurement Program and completed Officer Indoctrination School in Newport, Rhode Island. She was then assigned to the 2nd Medical Battalion, 2nd Force Service Support Group, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina where she served as the Battalion Adjutant and Company Commander for Charlie Surgical Company. In 2002, she led a small unit exchange with the 5th Ambulance Brigade, Quebec Canada for Cold Weather familiarization and evacuation training. In 2003, she led a 225-person surgical company to OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM as part of Health Services Battalion, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.
She reported to Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune in 2003 for duty as the Department Head, Patient Administration Department, managing Medical Boards, Decedent Affairs, Inpatient and Outpatient Records, Medical Coding and Transcription. She also served as the Department Head, Operations Management where she became qualified as a communications officer during the Fleet Hospital’s Operational Readiness Evaluation. She was selected as the 2006 Navy Fellow for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C. While attached with NDMS, Commander Smith responded to three National Special Security Events and one major hurricane.
In February 2007, Commander Smith reported to Joint Task Force Civil Support (JTF-CS), Fort Monroe, Virginia where she served as the Chief, Current Medical Operations. JTF-CS plans and integrates the DoD response to the primary agency for domestic consequence management operations during chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive (CBRNE) situations. She was the lead medical planner for the 2009 Presidential Inauguration Joint Planning Augmentation Cell, served as the Medical Operations Officer for several Command Post and Field Training Exercises and led the medical planning efforts in support of Canada Command during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.
In July 2010, Commander Smith reported to the USAF Air Command and Staff College, receiving a Master of Military Operational Art and Science. In July 2011, she reported to United States Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany, serving as a Medical Operations Officer, where she was instrumental in the aero-medical evacuation of Libyan wounded Nationals from Libya to the United States. She was the primary medical planner for multiple presidentially directed missions and led the medical planning efforts for a Drug Enforcement Agency’s joint mission in the successful capture of five high-level drug traffickers.
In July 2013, she was selected as the Director for Administration at the Navy Medicine Information System Support Activity where she was responsible for the administration, human resources, manpower and training of over 40 medical inspector general programs for over 25 officers, 54 civilians and 45 contractors. Commander Smith assisted in the disestablishment of NAVMISSA on 01 October 2015 and was instrumental in the transition of the organization into the newly established Defense Health Agency.
In July 2015, she was selected for the rank of Commander and became an integral part of building the Navy Support to the Defense Health Agency. She was hand selected as the DHA San Antonio Administrative Support Officer, responsible for coordinating a Memorandum of Agreement between the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, the Defense Health Agency and the Navy Medicine Training Support Command; an effort to ensure the continued Title 10 authority and required support for all Navy personnel assigned to the DHA.
In September 2016, Commander Smith reported for duty as the Medical Intelligence and Medical Operations Officer, Joint Forces North Command, Brunssum Netherlands. Responsible for Joint Forces Command Medical oversight for “Operation Resolute Support”, ensure effective and efficient medical coordination and planning. Provided Medical Intelligence support to all JFC Planning operations and exercises; supports medical operations to include C4I for treatment, medical evacuation, medical supplies, force health protection reporting and planning. Conducted NATO medical planning expert training events for NATO Nations, Partnership for Peace Nations and Mediterranean Dialogue Countries.
In September 2018, Commander Smith reported as the Force Medical Planner Naval Special Warfare Command, Coronado, California. In July 2019, Commander Smith was designated as the Deputy Force Medical Officer for NSW, providing programmatic oversight of Medical policy and programs, Human Performance, Neurocognitive Assessment, Medical Readiness, Biomedical Research and Development, and medical logistics oversight for over 9000 NSW personnel arrayed across 8 Echelon III Groups
In October 2020, Commander Smith was selected as Executive Officer, 1st Medical Battalion, Camp Pendleton, CA.
Commander Smith attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She graduated in 1997 from Columbia College with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and received a Master Degree of Arts in Management from Webster University in 2000. She attended the non-resident USMC Amphibious Warfare School (AWS) and was awarded the AWS diploma in December 2003 and has completed two Fleet Seminar Courses for the Naval War College. Commander Smith graduated from the United States Air Force Air Command and Staff College on June 6th, 2011, receiving a Master of Military Operational Art and Science. She is credentialed as a Certified Emergency Manager with the International Association of Emergency Management.
Commander Smith’s personal decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Meritorious Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three awards), a Joint Service Achievement Medal, and the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards), Presidential Unit Citation, Meritorious Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal and numerous unit, campaign, and service awards.