We Honor and Remember:
![]() SFC Scott R. Smith
Age: 34 years old. Hometown: Punxsutawney, PA. Died: July 17, 2006 in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Unit: Army, 737th Explosive Ordnance Detachment, 52nd Ordnance Group, Fort Belvoir, VA. Birth: Apr. 31, 1972, Duboistown, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, USA. Sgt. 1st Class Smith of Punxsutawney, Pa., graduated from Jeff Tech and Punxsutawney Area High School in 1990, joining the U.S. Army in January 1991. Since that time, he served in Alabama, Arkansas, Italy, Maryland, Florida, Washington, New Jersey, Alaska, Virginia, Afghanistan, Kuwait and five tours in Iraq, specializing in law enforcement and explosive ordnance disposal. He was instrumental in the development and testing of new weapons systems and ordnance, including the SWORDS program. He earned many awards and medals during his years of service, including: Meritorious Service Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Joint Service Achievement Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Superior Unit award; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; NCO Professional Development Ribbon; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal; Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; and the Master Explosive Ordnance Disposal badge. In July 2007 Picatinny Arsenal has honored Sgt. 1st Class Smith by placing his name on the military building here where he used to work. He died of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated during a controlled ordnance clearing mission in Iskandariyah, Iraq at age 34. Burial: Lakelawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum, Reynoldsville, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, USA. Smith grew up in Punxsutawney, Pa., but worked for the past five years at Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County, developing methods to disarm spent weapons and designing and testing robots capable of detecting bombs or of bearing weapons themselves, said Joseph Wu, the director of Picatinny's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Directorate. "He was part of a special gang of very, very bright (non-commissioned officers) that advanced the idea of armed robots," Wu said. "Now it's gone through the first iteration of development and is being urgently released to Iraq." On Monday, Smith was trying to defuse one improvised explosive device when another exploded nearby, an Army spokesman said. A law enforcement and ordnance-disposal specialist, Smith had been stationed at Picatinny from September 2000 until January. He put his experience with robotics to use after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He and other soldiers from Picatinny, a weapons research and development facility, spent 10 days at the rubble-strewn World Trade Center site, directing a small camera-mounted robot that assisted in the recovery of victims, Wu said. Wu said colleagues valued Smith not only for his smarts, but also for his propensity to speak his mind. "He's so colorful," Wu said. "He tells you if you have a good idea or if you have a bad idea. People love him for his frankness." Smith -- who had previously served in Italy, Kuwait and Afghanistan -- was assigned to the 737th Explosive Ordnance Detachment, 52nd Ordnance Group, out of Fort Belvoir, Va. He was the 58th service member with ties to New Jersey killed in Iraq since the war began three years ago. Smith is survived by his wife Gari-Lynn, a native of Tacoma, Wash., his parents Robert "Big Red" and Shirl Smith and brother Shawn and his wife Jen (Dupak) Smith. He is also survived by his paternal grandparents Richard and Betty Smith and maternal grandmother, Louise Vasbinder, of Punxsutawney. |
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