FORT DETRICK, Md. -- U.S. Army Master Sgt. Danielle Smith’s childhood dream was to be a professional basketball star.
Not surprising for a Chicago South Sider, growing up watching arguably the greatest NBA player of all time, Michael Jordan, and his Bulls’ dynasty of the 1990s.
“Growing up, I was either playing basketball, thinking about basketball or watching my Bulls win it all just about every year,” Smith said. “But in high school, I quickly learned that my dream was not going to be my reality.”
Reflecting on her upbringing, Smith said she wasn’t sure about her future opportunities in Chicago, “where gun shots, drugs and poverty was the norm.” Around the same time, the Sept. 11 terror attacks in 2001 helped bring her future career path into focus.
“I watched the planes crash into the Twin Towers while in class in my junior year of high school,” she recalled. “I watched the news and wondered how I could help until my cousin gave me the idea of joining the Army. It’s like my whole life changed in that moment.”
Smith said she contacted her local recruiter -- who she has kept in touch with throughout her career -- and everything quickly fell into place as the then-17-year-old got her parents’ permission to join the Army.
That started a 20-year journey that recently came to an end at Fort Detrick, where Army Medical Logistics Command leaders, current and former colleagues, and family members joined Smith to celebrate her career during a retirement ceremony Nov. 17.
AMLC Commander Col. Marc Welde described Smith as one of the most “tenacious” people he has ever met, someone who gets things done and positively influences others in the process.
“Your candor and perspective are appreciated, and the most effective organizations are built on NCOs like you who provide the ground truth to senior leaders,” Welde said. “You are humble and, above all, you are a team player, always striving to make the unit better.”
Over her two-plus decades of service, Smith has traveled to 20 different countries and served in numerous leadership positions at different duty stations around the globe.
The toughest, yet most rewarding, was at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, where she served as a senior drill sergeant for two years and helped turn over 1,200 civilians into Soldiers.
“I didn’t look at it as just a job, but it was my duty to give back to others through mentorship, training and sacrificed time,” Smith said of the experience. “Even if I didn’t remember every one of them, I knew that they would always remember me. I wanted them to remember the professionalism and commitment to duty that I displayed each day. Recruiters and drill sergeants are the military’s first impression on recruits. I took that challenge seriously.”
Smith also recalled her time spent with the 8th Medical Logistics Company in Kandahar, Afghanistan, as another memorable point in her career. In her second deployment, she was responsible for three teams in three different geographical regions across Afghanistan.
Smith’s final assignment brought her to Fort Detrick, where she has served as a trusted voice among the senior noncommissioned officer corps at AMLC, the Army’s Life Cycle Management Command for medical materiel.
At AMLC, she played an integral part in the command’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as well as global missions in support of the evacuation of Afghan refugees and the war in Ukraine.
Command Sgt. Maj. Frederick Gibbons, who served as guest speaker at her retirement ceremony, highlighted several accomplishments during Smith’s career, including taking on duties outside her normal scope during deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
He talked about her leadership, impact on younger Soldiers as a drill sergeant and the many command and key leader positions she has held over her career, culminating in her current role at AMLC as noncommissioned officer in charge for the operations cell.
“If I had the power to select a sergeant major and promote them on the spot, based off merit and my confidence in that leader to lead, you would be my number one pick,” Gibbons said. “What an absolute honor it has been to serve with you. Thank you for your selfless service, contributions and sacrifice you have made to this great nation.”
Throughout her career, Smith said the Army has opened many doors and led to many firsts in her life -- from her first plane ride when she shipped off to basic training to allowing her to embrace who she truly is, both professionally and personally.
Smith, who identifies as a lesbian, struggled with her sexual identity when she first joined the Army, but guidance from several leaders over the years and the military’s acceptance for legal same-sex marriages helped her overcome her fears.
She’s happily been together with her wife, Shera, for nearly a decade. The couple have a blended family with three children, including a 3-year-old son together.
“I have always felt supported in the Army,” Smith said, adding that the Army has been “much more than just a job” to her.
“It’s a career that becomes a way of life,” she added. “If you want to see what you are truly made of -- both physically and mentally -- then the military is for you, whether it’s for a short term or a 20- to 30-plus-year career.”
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