U.S. Soldier receives NATO's highest honor

By U.S. ArmyApril 22, 2015

U.S. Soldier receives NATO's highest honor
Retired Maj. Gen. Koen Gijsbers, General Manager, NATO Communications and Information Agency, pins the NATO Meritorious Service Medal on Spc. Joshua Smith's uniform (Alpha Company, Allied Forces North Battalion) during an award ceremony, NCIA CSSC bu... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

April 7 was a very special day for Spc, Joshua A. Smith who received the NATO Meritorious Service Medal, NATO's highest honor, during a ceremony held at the NCI Agency CIS Sustainment Support Centre, JFC Brunssum, the Netherlands.

On behalf of the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the NCI Agency General Manager retired Maj. Gen. Koen Gijsbers presented the award to OR-4 Joshua Smith while a military formation stood at attention.

This year, there were only seven awardees though NATO is authorized 150 per year. Smith stands up among them as the first OR-4 to receive this decoration because he "distinguished himself while performing preventive and corrective maintenance on deployable Satellite Based Transmission Systems while supporting NATO operations in Kosovo and NATO Communications and Information Agency supported locations," says the award citation. "His abilities as a technician supported corrective maintenance activities which involved the replacing of various Communications and Information System components to realign Radio Frequency and Satellite Communications. This enabled the operational theatre commander to transmit and receive mission critical information."