Michael Smeath
Smeath in 2023
Born (1967-10-02) 2 October 1967 (age 56)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Air Force
Years of service1989 – present
RankAir Vice-Marshal
AwardsCommander of the Order of the British Empire

Air Vice-Marshal Michael John Smeath CBE (born 2 October 1967) is a senior Royal Air Force officer.

Education

He was educated at the Open University (BSc), King's College London (MA) and Deakin University, Canberra.[1]

RAF career

Smeath was commissioned into the RAF on 15 January 1989.[2] He served as officer commanding No. 34 Squadron.[3] He went on to be Station Commander at RAF Honington in 2014,[4] Liaison Officer to the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee in July 2017 and Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Defence Staff in August 2018.[5] In February 2020 Smeath was appointed Head of the British Defence Staff and Defence Attaché in Washington, D.C., with effect from August 2020.[6] In January 2023, he was appointed director of the Global Defence Network in the Ministry of Defence;[7] as such, he is head of the UK's military attaché world wide network.[8]

Smeath was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2001 Birthday Honours[9] and advanced to Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2018 New Year Honours.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Smeath, Air Vice-Marshal Michael John, (born 2 Oct. 1967), Defence Attaché, Washington, since 2020." WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 1 Dec. 2021
  2. ^ "No. 52254". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 August 1990. p. 13859.
  3. ^ "RAF Leeming squadron rewarded for exceptional service". Harrogate Advertiser. 23 September 2005. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  4. ^ "New station commander at RAF Honington". Bury Free Press. 21 December 2016.
  5. ^ "Ministry of Defence and Tri-Service Senior Appointments" (PDF). September 2011. p. 7. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  6. ^ "Senior Appointments 10 February 2020". raf.mod.uk. Royal Air Force. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  7. ^ "Senior Appointments 2022". Royal Air Force. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  8. ^ "Defence Diplomacy: A softer side of UK Defence". UK Parliament. Defence Sub-Committee. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  9. ^ "No. 56237". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 2001. p. 7.
  10. ^ "No. 62150". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2017. p. N7.
Military offices Preceded byGavin Parker Head of the British Defence Staff – US and Defence Attaché 2020–2023 Succeeded byTimothy Woods Preceded byScott Miller Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment 2022––present Incumbent
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