Lieutenant Colonel Nate Smith is the Commander, 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Army Airfield, NC. He organizes, trains, and equips Special Tactics Teams for world-wide deployment in support of Combatant Command priorities and requirements. The 21 STS fields Air Force ground special operations forces specializing in the precision application of airpower, executing combat and humanitarian missions around the world, and across all threat environments and political situations.
Lt Col Smith is from St. Louis, Missouri and received his commission in 2007 as a distinguished graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He holds advanced qualifications as a military freefall parachutist, combat scuba diver, air traffic controller, static-line jumpmaster, and Joint Terminal Attack Controller. His career includes assignments as a flight commander, director of operations, and squadron commander. Additionally, he has served five deployed and combat tours in Afghanistan, Iraq, across North/Central Africa, and Jordan. Nate is married to Deanne, and they have five children, Ali, Stirling, Isla, Eden, and Benaiah.
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