Colonel Smiley entered the Air Force in 1980 as a graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps program from Texas A&M University. He has extensive military experience including US Army Airborne School, USMC Officer Candidate School, a Navy Carrier Air Wing and strike fighter squadron, four active duty Air Force fighter wings, four Air National Guard fighter wings and an Air Force Reserve fighter wing. The Colonel has served as a Fighter Squadron Director of Operations, a Deputy Operations Group Commander, an Operations Group Commander and a Vice Wing Commander. He has world wide operational flying experience throughout the United States, Canada, Alaska, Pacific, Far East, Australia, Philippines, Atlantic, Europe, Scandinavia, Mediterranean, Southwest Asia (Iraq and Afghanistan), Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf. Colonel Smiley is a graduate of the USAF F-16 Fighter Weapons Instructor Course and he was a pilot member on three USAF Gunsmoke worldwide fighter gunnery teams. He was a member of the 9th Air Force Top Team, the 9th Air Force overall Topgun and an individual event winner during Gunpowder 83 and twice he was a Gunsmoke individual event USAF world champion. He has participated in six combat deployments to include Operations IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, NORTHERN WATCH and SOUTHERN WATCH flying a total of 66 combat missions. As a USAF/US Navy exchange pilot, he carrier qualified on the USS Theodore Roosevelt and deployed on two six and half month cruises aboard the USS Dwight Eisenhower making a total of 244 carrier landings including 74 at night. He earned awards for his day / night carrier landing grades on three separate line periods and he was a nominee for the Association of Naval Aviation Aviator of the Year Award in 1990. Colonel Smiley has authored six articles published in various military publications and delivered over 50 speeches throughout Texas and Alabama communities about the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard participation in the Global War on Terrorism. The Colonel has logged over 5500 hours of military jet flying time with over 5300 hours in jet fighters. This includes over 4600 hours in the F-16 Fighting Falcon of which 281 hours are in combat, and over 700 hours in the FA-18 Hornet. He is the tenth person in the world to go over 4000 flight hours in the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
I didn't know he served on a carrier!