Colonel Erik J. Smith, U. S. Marine Corps
Colonel Smith joined the Navy Reserve in April 1993 and attended from the Naval Academy Preparatory School, Newport, Rhode Island. Afterwards, he attended and graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U. S. Marine Corps in May 1998.
Following The Basic School (TBS), he was designated as a Ground Supply Officer and reported to Headquarters Battalion, 2d Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina as the Battalion Supply Officer. In June 2001, he transferred to Headquarters and Service Battalion, Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia. During this tour, he augmented 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM and returned from deployment to attend the Expeditionary Warfare School in July 2003.
After school, he augmented the Officer Candidate School as an Academics Officer and later transferred to 2d Maintenance Battalion, as the Reparable Issue Point Officer in Charge, and Company Commander for both General Support Maintenance Company and Ordnance Maintenance Company. In August 2006, he went overseas serving as the Headquarters Company Commander and Regimental Executive Officer, 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division, and Deputy Camp Commander, Camp Schwab, Okinawa, Japan.
In July 2007, he was assigned to TBS, Quantico, Virginia, serving as a Warfighting instructor and Headquarters and Service Company Commander, then Combat Service Support Company Commander. Following TBS, he transferred to Marine Air Control Group (MACG) 28, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), Cherry Point, North Carolina as the S-4 Officer and deployed as the Executive Officer, MACG-28 Detachment in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in Feb 2011.
He concluded his tour with MACG-28 and transferred to Quantico, Virginia as the Deputy AC/S G-4, Training Command. After two years, he returned to Cherry Point in June 2014 as the Deputy AC/S G-4, 2d MAW and was selected to be the Commanding Officer, 2d Maintenance Bn, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He relinquished command in June 2018, graduated from the Marine Corps War College, Quantico, Virginia, and received assignment to the Joint Staff J-8 at the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia in July 2019.
Currently, Colonel Smith is selected to command 3d Supply Bn, Okinawa, Japan in August 2021.