The Combat Veterans for Congress PAC is endorsing the 95th Combat Veteran for Congress in five years; he is a fiscally conservative candidate who believes in a smaller less intrusive federal government, lower taxes, and a strong national defense.  He will work to rein in the out of control federal spending and will work toward unleashing the private sector to grow once again. He is an independent thinking Republican and will champion working families,  senior citizens, and Veterans. Colonel David Smith, USMC (Ret) resides in Winter Springs, Florida and is running for the seat in the 7th Congressional District of Florida occupied by 22 year Congressman John L. Mica (R-FL-7).  Congressman Mica voted for the Ryan-Murray continuing budget resolution, H. R. Res 59 to cut personnel retirement benefits and pay for Combat Wounded and medically retired Veterans. Congressman Mica is also one of the Republican Congressman who has repeatedly refused to join with 186 Republican Congressmen who co-sponsored Congressman Wolf’s resolution to establish a House Select Committee on The Battle of Benghazi, which Speaker Boehner has refused to establish for 18 months.  Congressman Mica voted on multiple occasions to increase the federal debt limit from $4 Trillion when Cong Mica was first elected to $17 Trillion over a 22 year period, and that he repeatedly voted for billions in earmarks.  David Smith was born to Capt. Carl D. Smith and Mary Smith at Kirk Army Hospital in Aberdeen, Maryland. David comes from a proud military family and grew up living throughout the United States and overseas; his father served as an Ordnance Officer in the U.S. Army and retired as a Colonel.  When David was only six years old he lost his mother to breast cancer.  He attended many DOD schools growing up, and graduated Aberdeen High School in Aberdeen, Maryland in May 1978. While in school, David was active in the Boy Scouts and sports, including football, basketball and baseball. His family first established roots in Central Florida when his father was assigned there in the early 1970s.  David worked his way through Texas A&M University, graduating debt-free with a degree in Business Management in August 1982. 

While at Texas A&M he was a member of the Corps of Cadets, and during his senior year commanded his Naval Reserve Officer Training (NROTC) company.  David was commissioned a 2nd LT in the United States Marine Corps by his father upon graduation on August 14, 1982. He immediately reported to The Basic School (TBS) in Quantico, Virginia for officer training.  Upon graduation from TBS in February 1983, 2nd LT Smith reported for flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida; he graduated from the Naval Aviation Flight Course in December 1983. David then attended the Helicopter Training Course, earning his wings of gold in August 1984. After a short temporary assignment back at Texas A&M as an assistant Marine Officer Instructor, David reported for his first assignment as a military pilot with HMT-303 based in Camp Pendleton, California on November 6, 1984.  He earned his Pilot Qualified in Model (PQM) designation in the UH-1N in March 1985.  1stLT Smith then reported to his first fleet assignment with Helicopter Marine Light Squadron 367 (HML-367).  He made two six month overseas deployments to Okinawa, Japan in 1985 and 1987. These deployments included joint and combined exercises in Korea, Philippines, and Thailand; he was promoted to Captain on September 1, 1987. After completing advanced Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) certification, Captain Smith deployed in 1989 for six months to the Western Pacific aboard the USS Tarawa (LHA-1 ) with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Special Operations Capable (SOC) as part of a reinforced composite Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron -163 (HMM-163).

From 1990 to 1991, Captain Smith was assigned as an Instructor Pilot with the Helicopter Training Squadron (HMT-303) at Camp Pendleton, California. In 1991, Captain Smith attended resident professional military education at the Amphibious Warfare School (AWS) at Quantico, Virginia.  Upon graduation in May 1992, Captain Smith was assigned back to Camp Pendleton at the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) Special Operations Training Group (SOTG).  From 1993 to 1997 Captain Smith returned for a second time to Marine Light Attack Squadron 367 (HMLA-367) and HMM-262 (c) serving two additional deployments to Okinawa, Japan, Philippines, Korea, and Guam; he was promoted to Major on August 1, 1994. In 1997 Major Smith was transferred to the Naval Air Systems Command, Program Management Activity-276 at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland where he served at the UH-1N Deputy Program Manager. As the UH-1N Deputy Program Manager, Major Smith was responsible for a budget of $75 million dollars and incorporated several operational and safety improvements to the Navy and Marine Corps fleets of UH-1N helicopters. During this tour he attended the Defense Acquisition University at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia and was certified in the Program Management career field.  In his off-duty hours he also completed a Master’s degree in Business Management at Florida Institute of Technology. On July 1, 1999, Major Smith was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.

 In 2000, LtCol Smith returned to Camp Pendleton and HMLA-367 for a third time where he served at the squadron Executive Officer.  In 2001 LtCol Smith became the 3rd Marine Air Wing Future Operations Officer (G-3) at Miramar, California.  Lt Col Smith deployed to Al Jaber, Kuwait with the 3d MAW advanced party for Operation Iraqi Freedom in November 2002. While deployed for combat operations, LtCol Smith flew multiple combat missions including the night attack to destroy the terrorist training camp at Salman Pak, Iraq for which he was awarded the Air Medal with Combat V.  Following his return from Iraq in 2003, LtCol Smith returned to PMA-276 at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. He served as the new H-1 Upgrades Deputy Program Manager (Production) and was responsible for a budget of over $250 million dollars.  On September 1 2004, LtCol Smith was promoted to Colonel and was subsequently selected for Command of the Fleet Readiness Center East (FRC East) at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina. Tasked with the depot level maintenance and repair of both rotary and fixed wing aircraft, Colonel Smith commanded a military and civilian workforce of more 4000 employees that annually processed over $770 million worth of aircraft, engine and component repairs. FRC East was awarded two Shingo Prizes in 2007 and 2008 for Operational Excellence, earned the Department of Defense 2008 Robert T. Mason award and in 2009 received the North Carolina Award for Excellence.  In addition to his command responsibilities, Colonel Smith also performed pilot and co-pilot duties during function check-flights for UH-1N, AH-1W, H-46, H-53 and TAV-8B aircraft.

Colonel Smith’s final command assignment from 2009-2012 was at Marine Corps System Command as the Program Manager, Training Systems (PM TRSYS) located in Orlando, Florida.  Colonel Smith led a 200 member military and civilian team responsible for Marine Corps pre-deployment training. PM TRASYS provided live, virtual and constructive training solution at all Marine Corps bases and stations located around the world.  And had a total budget of $1.4 billion dollars.   Colonel Smith was Honorably Discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps on August 31, 2012, retiring with 30 years of active duty service.  He is the recipient of the Legion of Merit (with Gold Star for second award), Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Gold Stars for three awards), the Air Medal – Individual Action with “V Device”, Air Medal- Strike/Flight (with numeral 2 and 1 gold Star), the Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal (with 2 Gold Stars for three awards), the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal,  numerous Service and Campaign Medals.

Since moving back home to Central Florida in 2009, David has been active in numerous civic organizations including; Orlando Inc., Regional Chamber of Commerce; Board of Directors Central Florida SPCA; Board of Directors Central Florida YMCA, and the Orange County Bar Association, Veterans Advisory Council. He is also a member of the Texas A&M Association of Former Students, the Central Florida Marine Corp Foundation, the Marine Corp Aviation Association, the First Marine Division Association, the Association of United States Army, the Army Aviation Association of America, the American Legion (Post 5405), the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the National Rifle Association, the National Defense Industrial Association, the Nation Training and Simulation Association, Women in Defense, and the  Seminole Country Republican Executive Committee.  He is a member of First Baptist Church Oviedo, FL. 
 

The Combat Veterans for Congress PAC is pleased to endorse Colonel David Smith,  USMC (Ret) who will bring to Congress private sector skills and wisdom to better solve problems in government and represent the 7th Congressional District of Florida and the Republic.  If you review Colonel Smith’s positions on his website, you will be pleased with his position on critical issues and they agree with the Combat Veterans for Congress Mission Statement.  We look forward to working with Colonel Smith, and are pleased that a Combat Veteran of his caliber is running for Congress.  If you have friends, associates, or relatives who know voters in the 7th Congressional District of Florida, kindly pass this E-mail on to them, and ask them to support Colonel Smith by working in his campaign, providing financial support for his campaign in any amount, and/or by networking with others who would be willing to support his campaign.  The military is one of the few remaining institutions producing the caliber of men and women needed to restore this nation to the greatness our Founding Fathers envisioned.  We have endorsed another Combat Veteran for Congress that General George Washington would have approved of.  He is a Veteran who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to “The United States of America” for an amount “up to and including his life.”