Russell Smith:  

Life/Work/Military I retired from the U.S. Army on 9/1/06 as a Lieutenant Colonel. I was a Marine for 3 years then in the Army for 23. Total service was 26 years, 3 months, one week and one day. I now teach High School - US History and Political Science in Oklahoma. I am the Assistant Swimming Coach at Heritage Hall, in Oklahoma City. I am finishing a Masters in Education Administration and hope to be a Principal in short order. I was enlisted in the Marine Corps for three years, enlisted in the USAR and National Guard for three years, and was an officer for over 20. I have been asked to serve on the Board of Directors of the Iraq War Veterans Association & to participate as a member of a Harvard Study regarding a strategic reform of the National Guard. I have been married for 16 years and have two little girls. I arrived in Iraq on 10/31/04. I was supposed to be there for a year. On 1/29/05 I was wounded in the head and extremities in a rocket attack, I had a second degree burn on my forehead, and most of my hair was burned off. I was medevaced to Walter Reed Army medical Center and arrived on Valentine’s Day at about 11:45 PM EST. I was hospitalized for about 45 days in the Defense & Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Center. I spent ab...Expand for more