A young Col. Scott Smith, commander of the 305th Air Mobility Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, rests easy in the arms of his father, Dr. Donald W. Smith. "I have much to be grateful for in my life, and one special gift in particular I thank God for is my father—Donald W. Smith," Colonel Smith said. "Patriotism, dedication, integrity, passion and competitive drive are just a few of the countless characteristics he has instilled in me over the years. However I believe the greatest lesson I learned from him was the primacy of service to others—and most particularly that there is no sacrifice is too great for your children and their future. It was not lost on me at an early age that as one of nine kids, my dad needed tremendous self-drive and motivation to achieve his goals. Though his parents gave him a good start, he and his brothers and sisters ultimately had to go out and make their way in the world through their own efforts. For my father, that path led him to work endless amounts of hours doing back-breaking jobs in fields and factories to pay his way through schools. In the end, he became a fantastic doctor of medicine working long hours as our family developed. While still practicing medicine, he was an “old school” doctor—going off in the middle of the night with black bag in hand to make a house call. What I learned later is that he often did not charge people for his visits. That was my dad the doctor—wanting to help others and practice his art above all else. For me and my two sisters, that genuine care manifested itself in his phenomenal generosity over the years. Whether it was for schools, sports or music lessons, trips or camps, my dad has always been ready to help us reach our potential. Costs were often staggering, but if we earned the opportunity, he found a way to work the finances—always at a personal cost of sacrificing some dream or desire of his own. To this day, my father holds nothing back to help my sisters and I go forward with our own families. He is the most generous, caring man I will ever know, and will always be the standard to which I aspire."