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Soldier of Year reaches new heights

Capt. Scott Smiley climbed to the summit of Mount Rainier in Washington state July 10, and the next day rushed to Washington, D.C., for another triumph.

Smiley, the Army Times Soldier of the Year, was honored at a reception July 12, along with the other 2007 Military Times Service Members of the Year. There, the winners were hailed for their professionalism, dedication to other service members and service to country.

For the seventh consecutive year, the Capitol Hill event was packed with congressional, military and business leaders, and with the service members’ families, friends and peers.

Smiley, 27, was accompanied by his wife, Tiffany, his 2-month-old son, Grady, and a crowd of supporters.

Smiley was blinded in Iraq by a suicide car bomber in April 2005. He was a platoon leader with 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division then. In spite of his wounds, which make him eligible for 100 percent disability, Smiley continues to serve on active duty, inspiring thousands of soldiers through the Army Wounded Warrior Program.

He spent a year at U.S. Army Accessions Command, and is now at Duke University in Durham, N.C., pursuing a master’s degree in business administration. After that, he will teach at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.

“I feel great, but at the same time, I definitely think there are plenty of other soldiers who deserve the recognition, who’ve given so much and families who have gone through their own trials and tribulations,” Smiley said.

Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., hosted the awards ceremony, with Rep. Ike Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

The other 2007 Service Members of the Year are Navy Ship’s Serviceman 1st Class (SW) Angela Crawford; Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew Patnaude; Marine Corps Maj. Theodore Wong; and Coast Guard Health Services Technician 3rd Class Anjelica Hopkins-Slayton.