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Smoot, Richard, MSG.
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Contact Info
Home Town Crownhill
Last Address Tornado, West Virginia
Date of Passing Jul 02, 2015
Location of Interment Donel C. Kinnard Memorial State Veterans Cemetery - Dunbar, West Virginia
Master Sergeant(Retired) Richard A. Smoot, 67, of Tornado, passed away Thursday, July 2, 2015.He was born June 28, 1948 in Crownhill, West Virginia, the son of Trilba Gay Smoot and the late Richard Smoot.Dick was a devoted husband, father, and friend always willing to lend a hand. He was the rock of our immediate and extended family. Richard was a Retired US Army Veteran having served in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Dick had numerous military accomplishments all after the age of 40. At age 43, he completed the Special Forces Qualification Course as a Weapon Sgt., at age 50, he was Combat Diver Qualified (He was the eldest at the time). He was a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha Team SGT conducting Combat Operations in Afghanistan in early 2002, and the Company Weapons SGT in Iraq in 2005 - 2006. Dick was a Whiskey 9, meaning he was both Halo and Scuba Qualified. Dick was a LEGEND in the Special Forces Community and respected by all. Dick was Commander for American Legion Post 73 for 3 and a half years. He was a member of the American Legion Riders, and Rolling Thunder Inc. But his greatest accomplishment of all was being the husband to a loving wife and father to his three children. In addition to his mother, he is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Anna Smoot; son, Richard Allen Smoot and his wife, Kellie, of Watertown, N.Y.; daughters, Tonya Smoot and Tangie Smoot, both of Tornado; 8 grandchildren; brothers, George Smoot and his wife, Terri, of Charleston, Kenneth Smoot, of East Bank; sister, Penny Ratliff and her husband, Jim, of Spencer; all his nieces and nephews whom he treated as his own. He will be forever missed but will remain among us.Celebration of Dick's life will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 7, at Casdorph & Curry Funeral Home with LTC (Chaplain) Rob Hudson officiating. Burial will follow in Donnel C. Kinnard Memorial State Veterans Cemetery, Institute with Full Military Honors being conducted by Special Forces Association Chapter 68, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), and assisted by American Legion Post 73 and VFW Post 6418.Gathering of family and friends will be from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.Online condolences can be sent to the family at: www.casdorphandcurry.com
Completed the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC) becoming an 18B Special Forces Weapons Sergeant. He later became the oldest person to complete and graduate the Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification Course (CDQC).
A legend in 2nd BN, 19th SFG (A) and the Special Forces Community.
Description "Operation Enduring Freedom" (OEF) is the current official name used by the U.S. government for the War in Afghanistan, together with a number of smaller military actions, under the umbrella of the Global "War on Terror" (GWOT).
The operation was originally called "Operation Infinite Justice", but as similar phrases have been used by adherents of several religions as an exclusive description of God, it is believed to have been changed to avoid offense to Muslims, who are the majority religion in Afghanistan. U.S. President George W. Bush's remark that "this crusade, this war on terrorism, is going to take a while", which prompted widespread criticism from the Islamic world, may also have contributed to the renaming of the operation.
The Operation comprises several subordinate operations:
Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan (OEF-)
Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines (OEF-P, formerly Operation Freedom Eagle)
Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA)
Operation Enduring Freedom – Pankisi Gorge (completed in 2004)
Operation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara (OEF-TS; see also Insurgency in the Maghreb)
Operation Enduring Freedom – Caribbean and Central America (OEF-CCA)
The term "OEF" typically refers to the war in Afghanistan. Other operations, such as the Georgia Train and Equip Program, are only loosely or nominally connected to OEF, such as through government funding vehicles. All the operations, however, have a focus on counterterrorism activities.
Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, which is a joint U.S., U.K. and Afghan operation, is separate from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which is an operation of North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations including the U.S. and U.K. The two operations run in parallel, and although it has been intended that they merge for some time, this has not yet happened.
Overview
In response to the attacks of 11 September, the early combat operations that took place on 7 October 2001 to include a mix of strikes from land-based B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress bombers, carrier-based F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet fighters, and Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from both U.S. and British ships and submarines signaled the start of Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan (OEF-A).
The initial military objectives of OEF-A, as articulated by President George W. Bush in his 20 September Address to a Joint Session of Congress and his 7 October address to the country, included the destruction of terrorist training camps and infrastructure within Afghanistan, the capture of al-Qaeda leaders, and the cessation of terrorist activities in Afghanistan."
In January 2002, over 1,200 soldiers from the United States Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC) deployed to the Philippines to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in their push to uproot terrorist forces on the island of Basilan. Of those groups included are Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah.[8] The operation consisted of training the AFP in counter-terrorist operations as well as supporting the local people with humanitarian aid in Operation Smiles.
In October 2002, the Combined Task Force 150 and United States military Special Forces established themselves in Djibouti at Camp Lemonnier. The stated goals of the operation were to provide humanitarian aid and patrol the Horn of Africa to reduce the abilities of terrorist organizations in the region. Similar to OEF-P, the goal of humanitarian aid was emphasised, ostensibly to prevent militant organizations from being able to take hold amongst the population as well as reemerge after being removed.
The military aspect involves coalition forces searching and boarding ships entering the region for illegal cargo as well as providing training and equipment to the armed forces in the region. The humanitarian aspect involves building schools, clinics and water wells to enforce the confidence of the local people.
Since 2001, the cumulative expenditure by the U.S. government on Operation Enduring Freedom has exceeded $150 billion.
The operation continues, with military direction mostly coming from United States Central Command.
