CW4 Smith began his military career as an Enlisted Infantry Soldier at Fort Bragg, in November 1966. He transferred to the Quartermaster Corps in 1971 and was commissioned a Warrant Officer in 1976.

CW4 Smith has held a variety of significant staff positions in his career, including Chief Quartermaster School representative on the US Army Strategic Logistics Agency to define functional logistics requirements; Chief, Materiel Control Training Division, Supply Department, Fort Lee; Subject Matter Expert with the Department of State, Washington, DC, on the automated and manual supply systems; and Assistant Branch Chief and Instructor Writer Direct Support Unit Standard Supply System with the Materiel Control Training Division, Fort Lee. He also served as Assistant Branch Chief and Instructor/Writer for DS4; Advisor to The Quartermaster General, designed and implemented the Supply Excellence Award Program; Supply Management Division, Fort Lee, served as course coordinator and Direct Support Unit/DS4 instructor; Class IX (repair parts) Supply Management Officer, 3^rd Division Materiel Management Center, 3^rd Infantry Division; Brigade Property Book Officer with the 2^nd Training Brigade, USA Training Center, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri ; Battery Commander for five months and the Battalion S4 and the Property Book Officer for 2^nd Battalion, 5^th Field Artillery, 42^nd Field Artillery Group, V Corps.

Since his retirement from active duty in 1991, CW4 Smith has continued to contribute to the logistics community as civilian Director for Research and Studies, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Logistics).