[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 92 (Thursday, May 26, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S2749]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                REMEMBERING COLONEL JAMES A. SMITH, JR.

 Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
the remarkable life of Retired Colonel James A. Smith, Jr., a 31 year 
veteran of the Illinois Army National Guard who passed away on May 11, 
2022.
  Colonel Smith started his career in 1977 as an enlisted soldier, 
commissioning in 1982 through the Illinois Army National Guard's 
Officer Candidate School. He served in various staff and leadership 
positions throughout his career in the Illinois National Guard.
  In 2003, Colonel Smith was appointed as the Deputy Chief of Staff for 
Personnel (G-1). In this role, he played an integral role in preparing 
Illinois Army National Guard units for deployment to Iraq and then 
Afghanistan. In 2008, before his retirement, he was appointed as the 
Illinois Army National Guard chief of staff before being appointed the 
Illinois Department of Military Affairs chief of staff that same year.
  As the IDMA chief of staff, Colonel Smith supported multiple Illinois 
National Guard deployments, the Illinois National Guard's response to 
floods, hurricanes, and wildfires, the 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago, and 
most recently, the Illinois National Guard's COVID-19 response, as well 
as law enforcement support missions.
  Colonel Smith was proud of being an infantry officer, a devout 
Catholic, and an unwavering Cardinals fan. He was a strong advocate for 
Lincoln's Challenge Academy and its cadets, the Illinois Military 
Family Relief Fund, the Illinois State Military Museum, the National 
Guard Association of Illinois, and, most of all, the soldiers and 
airmen of the Illinois National Guard and their families.
  Colonel Jim Smith's voice will not be heard again in the Illinois 
National Guard's buildings or training areas, but his spirit will 
remain within this organization for many generations to come. He leaves 
behind his wife Nilsa and their son Sam. May his legacy of service and 
kind spirit serve as an inspiration to us all.

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