Major General Stuart Smith Biography
Major General Stuart Lyle (S.L) Smith, AM
Commander Joint Task Force 633
Stuart Smith was born on 1st November 1963 in Sydney. He was educated at Saint Paul’s College in Adelaide and gained scholarship entry to RMC Duntroon in 1981.
He graduated to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps in 1984 and has completed a variety of regimental postings in the light and mechanised battalions of The Royal Australian Regiment.
In 1996 he attended the British Army Command and Staff College at Camberley, United Kingdom. He subsequently completed staff appointments at 3rd Brigade in Townsville, Army Headquarters in Canberra and 1st Division/Deployable Joint Force Headquarters in Brisbane. He served as the Chief of Army Liaison Officer to the Australian Government Senate Committee Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade in 2002.
Major General Smith has considerable operational experience. He served as a Military Observer with the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation in Lebanon and Syria during 1993. He also served as a Plans/Liaison Officer with the US led Coalition Task Force Headquarters in Kuwait during 1999/2000. In 2003 he commanded the 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment on peace keeping duties as part of the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor. In late 2004 he deployed as the Chief of Staff for the ADF Joint Task Force 629 responsible for earthquake/tsunami relief activities in Aceh. He served as the Deputy Commander of the ADF Joint Task Force 633 in Afghanistan during 2008. In 2011 he commanded the ADF Joint Task Force response to those communities in Australia affected by Cyclone Yasi.
On 17 January 2012 he assumed command of all Australian Forces deployed to the Middle East Area of Operations.
Major General Smith is a graduate of the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies, Australian Defence College. He holds tertiary qualifications of Bachelor of Arts (1984), Masters of Business Administration (2000), Graduate Diploma in Defence and Strategic Studies (2006) and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (2007). He was appointed as a member of the Order of Australia in 2005 for exceptional service to the Australian Army. He is married to Karen and they have three adult children. His interests include reading Australian literature, cross country running, and Australian Football.