| Mark E. Smith | |
| Placeofburial Label: | Place of burial |
| Branch: | |
| Serviceyears: |
|
| Rank: |
|
| Commands: |
|
| Battles: | Operation Desert Storm |
| Awards: |
|
| Alma Mater: |
|
Mark E. Smith is a major general and the 24th National Commander of the Civil Air Patrol. Maj Gen Smith succeeded Maj Gen Joseph Vazquez as National Commander on September 2, 2017. He led over 63,000 members across the U.S. in fulfilling CAP's congressionally chartered missions of Emergency Services, Cadet Programs and Aerospace Education, including Homeland Security as the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force.[1] He was previously the Southwest Region Commander and New Mexico Wing Commander.[2]
General Smith retired as a colonel from the U.S. Air Force in 2000 after 26 years of service. A veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, he later commanded the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. Later he served as Director of the Office of the Secretary of Defense's Joint Advanced Distributed Simulation Joint Test and Evaluation (JADS JT&E) program.
In the private sector, General Smith worked at senior levels for both small and large corporations and as a private consultant. He also served as an International Test and Evaluation Association (ITEA) board member and as the first chair of the Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization's Executive Committee.[3]
General Smith began in Civil Air Patrol in 2005. He is a CAP pilot and served in command positions within all levels of the organization. As Region Commander, he led CAP's Leadership Development Working Group, a national-level team that has developed products, tools and courses to better equip CAP's leaders. This group was responsible for the Unit Commander's (UCC) Course.
General Smith was appointed by the Civil Air Patrol Board of Governors on June 18, 2017 to a three-year term as National Commander/CEO which commenced on September 2, 2017.[4] As National Commander, he was the highest-ranking CAP officer and served as Civil Air Patrol's Chief Executive Officer and as an advisor to the CAP Board of Governors, the organization's governing body. General Smith also led the CAP Command Council and the CAP Senior Advisory Group (CSAG). On August 8, 2019, CAP's Board of Governors extended General Smith's three-year term for one additional year.[5] Major General Edward Phelka succeeded Major General Smith as National Commander on August 26, 2021.[6]