VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — U.S. Marine and Frankfort, Ind., native, Capt. Arlon, D. Smith was presented with a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal during a formation at Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group aboard Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek – Fort Story, Va., June 12.
Smith’s award presentation was the last opportunity for the unit to congratulate and recognize Smith for his performance and overall contributions to the command prior to him transferring to Command and Staff College located at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., where he will attend a 10-month resident professional military education course.
According to his award citation, Smith executed all his duties with professionalism, focus and tenacity, providing meaningful contributions to the development and initial successes of a new and unique unit. Since August 2009, he served as the unit’s intelligence officer, which is a major’s billet (field grade officer billet), and was directly responsible for instituting an effective intelligence program and establishing a foreign disclosure program.
Additionally, he led the training of hundreds of Marines and sailors at Fort Story, Va., prior to their deployments, and also deployed multiple times to three continents leading Security Force Assistance teams training partner nations.
One highlight of his tour at MCSCG was serving as the Deputy Team Chief for the Georgia Training Team in support of the Georgia Deployment Program – International Security Assistance Force at Krtsanisi Training Area, Republic of Georgia, from September 2010 to March 2011. During this period, Smith led 143 Marine instructors in the development and execution of 26 training packages that supported the 33rd Georgian Light Infantry Battalion’s preparation for their deployment to Afghanistan.
Prior to checking into MCSCG, Smith served for one year as the Intelligence Advisor for the 7th Iraqi Army Infantry Division in the western Al Anbar Province of Iraq. He also deployed two previous times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has served as a U.S. Marine officer for 11 years.
Smith graduated from Frankfort High School in Frankfort, Indiana and then earned his undergraduate degree from Indiana University and his Masters degree from Boston University.
His parents Jimmy and Karen Smith still reside in the Frankfort Ind., area.
Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group is a unit in the Marine Corps that coordinates, manages, executes, and evaluates United States Marine Corps Security Cooperation programs and activities, to include assessment, planning, military related education and training, and advisor support to ensure unity of effort in building Partner Nation Security Forces capacity and capability in order to facilitate USMC and regional Marine Forces component support to combatant commanders security cooperation objectives.