LIEuTENANT GENERAL LEsLIE c. sMITH
By Dr. Samuel Odom
Washington, D.C.
Lieutenant General. Leslie C. Smith sat down with Dr. Samuel Odom to discuss his experiences, insights, journey, and outlook as a U.S. Army General Officer commander, mentor, and community leader. Early years Lieutenant General Leslie Smith is a native of Atlanta, Georgia with roots in the State of Mississippi. Brother Smith was duly initiated in the spring of 1982 Initiate at the Iota Pi of Kappa Alpha Psi ® while attending Georgia Southern University. Lt. Gen. Smith comes from a family of military service beginning with his father who served with the 25 th Infantry Division during the Korean War in 1950. Lt. Gen. Smith’s (younger) brother, Lawrence C. Smith, commissioned through the Florida A&M University Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program. Lawrence served three years on active duty in the U.S. Army as a Quartermaster Officer. He was a Platoon Leader and the installation Secretary General Staff officer at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Ft. Polk, La. Lawrence also served five years as an Army Reservist. Lawrence was initiated as a spring 1988 Initiate of the Alpha Xi of Kappa Alpha Psi ® at Florida A&M University. Lt. Gen. Smith’s sister, Lola Burse, served three years in the United States Marine Corps as a Communications Corporal before becoming an elementary school principal in Georgia.
U.S. Army Lieutenant General Leslie C. Smith, Inspector General of the Army, poses for a command portrait in the Army portrait studio at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., Mar. 15, 2018. (U.S. Army photo by Monica King). T he U.S. Army continues to recognize, reward and promote professional leadership. On Wednesday, February 7, 2018, the Secretary of the Army, Dr. Mark T. Esper, issued the Oath of Office and swore in Major General Leslie Carlton “Les” Smith as the U.S. Army’s 66 th Inspector General during a ceremony held at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. Subsequent to the swearing in, the official promotion ceremony to Lieutenant General took place on Friday, February 9, 2018. Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Mark A. Milley, hosted the event at Lincoln Hall Auditorium on Fort Lesley J. McNair in
Lt. Gen. Smith earned his commission through the ROTC program at Georgia Southern
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