Lt. Col. Nate Smith is the Commander, 819th RED HORSE Squadron, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. He is directly responsible for 321 engineer, force support, security forces, logistics readiness, and medical Airmen that provide the Air Force with self-sustaining heavy horizontal and vertical construction capabilities. His unit executes a $14 million global construction portfolio and manages the operations and maintenance of $19 million in construction, bed-down, and sustainment assets.
Lt. Col. Smith graduated and received his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 2009. He received his master’s degrees from Louisiana Tech University and Air Command and Staff College. He has held various civil engineer positions and special duty assignments at the base, major command, and air staff levels, to include deployed squadron command, Joint Region Marianas J4 staff, Director of Operations for the 823d RED HORSE Squadron, and Branch Chief of various Air Staff Programs. Prior to his current position, Lt. Col. Smith was the Executive Officer to the Air Force Civil Engineer.
Lt. Col. Smith has deployed to Afghanistan in support of operation ENDURING FREEDOM in 2011 and Operation RESOLUTE SUPPORT in 2016, UD 2.4 in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE in 2018, and Niger in support of Operation JUNIPER SHIELD in 2019. Additionally, he served on Task Force PHOENIX in disaster response to Tyndall AFB after Hurricane Michael in 2018.
EDUCATION
2009 Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado
2009 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2013 Squadron Officers School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, by correspondence
2015 Master of Science, Engineering and Technology Management, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston
2017 Squadron Officers School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2021 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2009–June 2010, Project Manager, 28th Civil Engineer Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota
2. June 2010–January 2012, Commander, Readiness and Emergency Management Flight, 28th Civil Engineer Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota
3. January 2012–August 2012, Asset Management Flight Deputy Commander, 28th Civil Engineer Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota
4. August 2012–May 2013, Deputy Operations Support Branch Chief, Civil Engineer Operations Division, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana
5. May 2013–November 2013, Executive Officer to the Civil Engineer, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana
6. November 2013–August 2014, Command Nuclear Facility Programmer, Civil Engineer Engineering Division, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana
7. August 2014–October 2016, Deputy Assistant Regional Engineer, Joint Region Marianas, Guam
8. October 2016–August 2017, Chief of Operations Engineering, 36th Civil Engineer Squadron, Andersen AFB, Guam
9. August 2017–June 2018, Deputy Engineering Flight Commander, 823rd RED HORSE Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida
10. July 2018–June 2019, Engineering Flight Commander, 823rd RED HORSE Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida
11. July 2019–July 2020, Operations Flight Commander, 823rd RED HORSE Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida
12. July 2020–June 2021, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
13. July 2021–May 2022, Environmental Branch Chief, Asset Management Division, Directorate of Civil Engineers, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
14. May 2022–June 2023, RED HORSE Branch Chief, Readiness Division, Directorate of Civil Engineers, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
15. June 2023–July 2024, Executive Officer to the Air Force Civil Engineer, Directorate of Civil Engineers, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
16. July 2024–Present, Commander, 819th RED Horse Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, Montana
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Navy Achievement Medal
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Army Combat Action Badge
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2010 Distinguished Graduate, Civil Engineer Initial Officer Training, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
2012 28th BW Lance P. Sijan Award
2013 AFGSC Maj Gen Gilbert Staff Officer of the Year
2019 HQ 9th AF Field Grade Officer of the Year
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS
Society of American Military Engineers
Project Management Institute
Veterans of Foreign Wars
(Current as of July 2024)