Leighton W. Smith Jr.
United States Navy admiral / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Leighton Warren Smith Jr. USN (20 August 1939 – 28 November 2023)[1] was a former United States Navy admiral. In 1994, he became the Commander in Chief of United States Naval Forces Europe and Allied Forces Southern Europe, holding the commands during the height of the Yugoslav wars. He commanded the NATO enacted no-fly zone (Operation Deny Flight) over Bosnia and the later bombing campaign against Republika Srpska (Operation Deliberate Force) in 1995.[2] The same year he additionally took on command of the NATO-led Implementation Force (IFOR) in Bosnia with the objective of overseeing the peace agreement. He held all three positions until his retirement in 1996.
Leighton W. Smith Jr. | |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | "Snuffy" |
Born | (1939-08-20)August 20, 1939 Mobile, Alabama |
Died | November 28, 2023(2023-11-28) (aged 84) |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Navy |
Years of service | 1962–1996 |
Rank | Admiral |
Commands held | Allied Forces Southern Europe United States Naval Forces Europe Implementation Force Carrier Group 6 USS America (CV-66) USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) |
Battles/wars | Vietnam War Bosnian War |
Awards | Defense Distinguished Service Medal (2) Navy Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit (3) Distinguished Flying Cross (2) Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire |