Tammy Smith

Tammy Smith is a retired Army Major General. At the conclusion of her 35-year career, she was serving at the Pentagon as the Military Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Army. She was responsible for developing innovative policy and providing oversight for the Army Quality of Life portfolio. Upon her promotion to Brigadier General in 2012, mere months after the repeal of Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell (DADT), then Brigadier General Smith gained unexpected visibility as the US military’s first openly LGBT General/Flag officer. Rather than downplaying the significance of this unanticipated status, Tammy leveraged her role by promoting inclusion and diversity in the Army and Department of Defense, contributing to a culture of acceptance and trust in a post-DADT military. She demonstrated that military identity remains the foremost identity of a soldier while also acknowledging the intersectionality of other personal identities.