On Wednesday, October 18th, Lassen High School will welcome one of its most distinguished alums, US Navy Fleet Master Chief Russell L. Smith, who is on business in Reno and asked to come to his alma mater and speak with students about life, inspiration and the paths we choose. Fleet Master Chief Smith will be speaking to students in the large gym beginning at 12:15p.m. Unfortunately the event will not be open to the public, only high school students.
Following his graduation from Lassen High School, Fleet Master Chief Smith reported to RTC San Diego, California and began his career as an Airman. He became a Weapons Technician in 1990, then converted to the Intelligence Specialist rating in 1993 and was selected for the Command Master Chief program in 2007.
He has served in sea duty assignments, including USS Enterprise, SEAL Team FOUR, USS Carl Vinson and two tours on USS Abraham Lincoln. Most recently he served as the Command Master Chief on USS Momsen. Shore tours have included service as the Operation NCO at the United States Defense Attache Office in Moscow, Russia, on the OPNAV Staff as the Senior Enlisted for the Intelligence Comm8unity, as the CMC for the Office of Naval Intelligence, OPNAV Staff Command Master Chief in Washington, DC, and most recently as the United States Naval Academy Command Master Chief in Annapolis, MD.
He completed six shipboard deployments to the Western Pacific and Central Command AORs in suppor of Operations Desert Storm and Desert Fox, a 292-day combat deployoment during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, disaster relief operations in Indonesia and counter-piracy operations in the Horn of Africa. He also served on numerous deployments and detachments while attached to Naval Special Warfare and Defense Intelligence Agency elements.
Fleet Master Chief Smith is a graduate of the U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy (Class 125/Blue) and CMC/COB Couse (Class 42), and has been awarded the Legion of Merit twice, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal four times, and various other personal and unit awards. He received the Edwin T. Layton Leadership Award in 2002 for leadership in the Intelligence Community.
Fleet Master Chief Smith reported for his current assignment as Fleet Master Chief Manpower, Personnel, Training, and Education in January 2017.
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