March 2023 | The World in 2040: A Planner’s Perspective
Retired Major General Perry M. Smith served 30 years in the U.S. Air Force. During his military career, he commanded an F-15 fighter wing in Germany, served as the top Air Force planner, and was commandant of the National War College. During the Vietnam War, Smith flew 180 combat missions in F-4 aircraft over Laos and North Vietnam. He was inducted into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame in 2020.
He graduated from the U.S. Military in 1956. At West Point, he played intercollegiate lacrosse. After his senior year, he was named as a member of the second team All American lacrosse team. Smith later earned his Ph.D. in International Relations from Columbia University. His dissertation earned the Helen Dwight Reid award from the American Political Science Association in 1968. He has written 6 books including Assignment Pentagon, Rules and Tools for Leaders (recently updated with co-author General Jeffrey Foley), and most recently Courage, Compassion, Marine: The Unique Story of Jimmy Dyess. Rules and Tools for Leaders, with over 300,000 copies in print, is Smith’s most successful book.
He served as CNN’s military analyst from 1991 until he resigned in protest over CNN’s 1998 bogus nerve gas special (The Valley of Death). He later served on contract with NBC, MSNBC, CBS TV, and radio. He is a frequent blogger and op-ed contributor to the Augusta Chronicle.
Since moving to Augusta in 1990, he has been active in community activities, including raising funds for the river rooms of Saint Paul’s Church, the new Fisher House, the Kroc Center, the Boy Scouts, the Heritage Academy and the Augusta Museum of History. A former board member of the Augusta Kiwanis Club, he has been an effective recruiter of new members. Recently, the club, in recognition of his leadership, presented him with the George Barrett Award. Smith serves as president emeritus of the board of trustees for the Augusta Museum of History and served on the board of the Augusta Warrior Project from 2006 until 2016.
Savannah River Section of the American Nuclear Society
The core purpose of the ANS Savannah River Section is to promote the awareness and understanding of the application of nuclear science and technology locally (in the Central Savannah River Area), nationally and globally.
About ANS
The American Nuclear Society is celebrating 60 years as the premier society for nuclear professionals. Our individual membership ranks include more than 11,000 engineers, scientists, educators, students, and others with nuclear related interests. Our members hail from more than 1,600 corporations, educational institutions, and government agencies from over 40 different countries. More than 80 industry-leading companies support the ANS as Organization Members.
ANS, a not-for-profit society, provides extensive opportunities for every professional group in the nuclear field to interact effectively via 22 divisions and technical groups, 59 U.S. and 10 non-U.S. local sections, 3 plant branches, and 43 U.S. and 3 non-U.S. student sections
The Society serves as an advocate for individuals and organizations having a stake in nuclear science and technology. Our Washington, D.C. office acts as a technical resource to senior policy and decision makers. ANS produces position papers on nuclear science and technology issues of our times, publishing these in print and on our website.
