Col Benjamin Smith is the Commander of 7th Maintenance Group, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. As Commander, he is directly responsible for the morale, welfare, and well-being of more than 1,600 Airmen and their families assigned to five squadrons. Additionally, he directs all production, flightline, and backshop maintenance supporting 23 B-1B aircraft supporting five operational squadrons. He also provides backshop maintenance support to 28 C-130J aircraft supporting two squadrons assigned to the 317th Airlift Wing.

Colonel Smith earned his commission in the Air Force as a graduate of the Baylor University Reserve Officer Training Corps program in 2002. He is a career logistics officer having served as an acquisition officer, munitions maintenance officer, and aircraft maintenance officer. He has maintained all three bombers in the Air Force inventory including the B-1 maintenance at Dyess AFB, B-2 sustainment at Tinker AFB, and deployed with B-52 maintenance at Andersen AFB, Guam. Colonel Smith has served various acquisition assignments including space, chemical/biological, and the F-35 development programs and a staff assignment as the Chief of AFMC Senior Leader Management.

EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Business Administration, Baylor University, Waco, Texas
2005 Masters of Business Administration, Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma City, Okla.
2006 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Six Sigma Black Belt Masters Certificate, Villanova University
2015 Air Command and Staff College (in-residence)
2020 Air War College (correspondence)

ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 2002 – July 2005, Acquisition Manager and Deputy Program Manager, B-2 Total System Support Partnership, Tinker AFB, Okla.
2. August 2005 – October 2006, Executive Officer, Program Management and Integration Directorate, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
3. November 2006 – July 2008, Flight Commander, Satellite Command and Control Site Development, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
4. August 2008 – December 2011, Maintenance Operations Officer, Dyess AFB, Texas
5. January 2012 – July 2014, Deputy Chief, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense Systems Branch, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
6. August 2014 – July 2015, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
7. June 2015 – June 2017, F-35 Utilities and Subsystems Lead, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Arlington, Va.
8. June 2017 – June 2019, Chief, Senior Leader Management, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
9. June 2019 – October 2022, Materiel Leader, Nuclear Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Air Force Technical Applications Center, Patrick AFB, Fla.
10. October 2022 – June 2023, Acting Deputy Director, Systems Development Directorate, AFTAC, Patrick SFB, Fla.
11. June 2023 – Present, Deputy Director, Systems Development Directorate, AFTAC, Patrick SFB, Fla.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with six oak leaf clusters

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2004 Department of Defense David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant August 24, 2002
First Lieutenant August 24, 2004
Captain August 24, 2006
Major October 1, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel July 1, 2017
Colonel July 1, 2023

(Current as of August 2024)