In this episode, Angie Lion of Website – Black River and Brigadier General, Shannon D Smith, United States Air Force discuss Decision Making in emergent and non-emergent situations in civilian and military environments. Shannon gives his experiences of leading at every level in the military throughout his entire career as a military aviator. He shares how mistakes and life lessons have taught him humility as a leader and how creating a space where everyone belongs and is a contributor is essential in gaining credibility to make decisions that affect people’s lives. He shares his experiences around the importance of knowing the difference between important decisions and urgent decisions. He stresses the importance of getting out of a winning and losing mindset/mentality and really spending more time connecting with your team to understand their perspectives. He also shares the accuracy of the new movie Top Gun! You don’t want to miss the wisdom in this episode!
Brig Gen Shannon D. Smith is the Commander, 113th Wing, District of Columbia Air National Guard, Joint Base Andrews, Md. His responsibilities encompass a wing with over 1,300 members. Units include the 113th Operations, Maintenance, Mission Support, and Medical Groups. Flying units within the wing include the 121st Fighter and 201st Airlift Squadrons. The 121st is responsible for F-16C missions including overseas combat operations and the 24/7 National Capital Region Aerospace Control Alert duty and the 201st utilizes the C-40 to execute worldwide special air missions for cabinet members, Congress, and other senior military leaders.
Brig Gen Smith began his military career in May 1992 when he earned a regular commission through the Montana State University Reserve Officer Training Corps Program. He then served 10 years on active duty. Brig Gen Smith is a graduate of the USAF Weapons School, Class 98BIV, and later returned as an instructor. He has served over 20 years as an Air National Guardsman. Brig Gen Smith has served multiple combat tours and flown combat missions in support Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM.
Prior to his current position, Brig Gen Smith served as Chief of Staff, Idaho Air National Guard, Joint Force Headquarters, Gowen Field, Idaho.
