Russell L. Smith

Russell L. Smith is a United States Navy sailor who serves as the 15th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON).[1] He was acting MCPON from June 22, 2018, when Steven S. Giordano resigned, to August 29, 2018, when he officially assumed the role.

Russell L. Smith
Smith in September 2018
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1988–present
Rank	Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Commands held	Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Battles/wars	Gulf War
Awards	Legion of Merit (3) Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (4) Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (3) Army Achievement Medal

Naval career

Smith is a graduate of the United States Navy Senior Enlisted Academy (Class 125/Blue) and the Command Master Chief/Chief of the Boat (CMC/COB) Course (Class 42) at the Naval War College.

Smith reported to Recruit Training Center San Diego, California, in September 1988, and began his career as a seaman. He became a weapons technician in 1990, then converted to the intelligence specialist rating in 1993. He was selected for the command master chief program in 2007.[2]

Smith's sea duty assignments include USS Enterprise (CVN-65), SEAL Team Four, USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), two tours on USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), and as the command master chief on USS Momsen (DDG-92).[2]

Smith had six shipboard deployments to the western Pacific and Central Command area of responsibility in support of operations Desert Storm and Desert Fox, a 292-day combat deployment during operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, disaster relief operations in Indonesia and counter-piracy operations in the Horn of Africa. He also served on numerous deployments and detachments while attached to Naval Special Warfare and Defense Intelligence Agency elements.[2]

Smith's shore tours include service as the operations non-commissioned officer at the United States Defense Attaché Office in Moscow, Russia; on the Chief of Naval Operations' staff as the senior enlisted for the intelligence community; as the CMC for the Office of Naval Intelligence; as the OPNAV Staff's command master chief in Washington, DC; and most recently as the United States Naval Academy's command master chief in Annapolis.[2]

Awards and decorations

	Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist insignia
	Enlisted Information Dominance Warfare Specialist insignia
	Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist insignia
	Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Badge

	Legion of Merit with two gold award stars
	Defense Meritorious Service Medal
	Meritorious Service Medal
	Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with three award stars
	Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with two award stars
	Army Achievement Medal
	Joint Meritorious Unit Award with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Navy Unit Commendation with one bronze service star
	Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
	Navy "E" Ribbon w/ Wreathed Battle E device
	Navy Good Conduct Medal with one silver and four bronze service stars
	National Defense Service Medal with service star
	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with two service stars
	Southwest Asia Service Medal with service star
	Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	Humanitarian Service Medal
	Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with silver service star
	Navy & Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon with service star
	Navy Accession Training Service Ribbon
	Kuwait Liberation Medal from Kuwait
	Navy Expert Rifleman Medal
	Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal

• 8 gold service stripes.
• Smith received the Edwin T. Layton Leadership Award in fall of 2002 for leadership in the Intelligence Community.

References

1. Office of the MCPON (28 August 2018). "Smith takes helm as MCPON". USNI. US Naval Institute.
2. "Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy". US Navy. Retrieved May 6, 2019.

External links

• Official biodata, navy.mil; accessed June 24, 2018.