Military Awareness Month: Army Officer Making a Global Impact from WNY

It’s quite possible that service runs through Joel Smith’s veins.

“My dad was the Disaster Chairman for the Red Cross in West Virginia. There was always a lot of flooding so literally as an 8-year-old kid, I had a Red Cross hardhat which I thought was the coolest thing. My dad would be coordinating these responses and I would always tag along with him.”

The West Virginia native would tag along on responses with his father well into his teenage years, something that helped to shape his philosophy on life as an adult.

“I was raised in a household where we were literally taught that we’re here to serve, not be served. And as a young kid, that’s really annoying,” Smith laughed. “But I found as an adult that if you can maintain an attitude of ‘I’m here to serve’ it improves your every day, because on the days where you’re feeling sorry for yourself, you stop when you take care of somebody else.” 

The family motto seems to have stuck with him. Now an Army Major with the 328^th Combat and Operational Stress Control unit, Smith has dedicated his life to serving his country and community. As a Behavioral Health Officer, Smith provides support to members of the military, often embedding with combat arms units on the frontlines.

At one point providing support to 3,000 soldiers in what he described as a “hot spot,” Smith explained their needs range from discussing combat events to more personal matters like a breakup or even a family emergency.

“As a behavioral health officer, it was really common for a unit to get a Red Cross message for one of their soldiers. They would end up bringing that person to me, or I would go out to them. I saw that interaction frequently and it was never good.”

The American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) provides assistance to members of the military on active duty, connecting with the individual’s unit if there is an emergency at home and helping to coordinate transportation and financial assistance when needed.

In 2008, Smith and his family were on the receiving end of one of those calls.

“It was significant. My oldest son was in basic training and my father passed away. We needed to use the Red Cross to get that message to him and start the process. In a time of crisis, it was the best.”

That’s why Smith was excited for his “full-circle” moment with the American Red Cross of Western New York, explaining that he jumped at the chance to join the Service to the Armed Forces committee when asked just a few years later.

“One thing we do very well in the military is take care of each other. That’s our whole focus. We tell people you’ll never be alone, and I really think that’s what our Service to the Armed Forces committee embodies.”  

Even while on deployment, Smith makes sure to stay connected with the committee. While on location in remote areas overseas, Smith and the committee, helped to address the needs of multiple units, fulfilling a request for something as simple as quality work gloves for a maintenance unit and coffee for another.

“The SAF committee had a direct impact,” he explained. “I was really humbled. It’s just very rewarding that you can contribute at a local level and have a global impact.”

It’s an impact he regularly encourages others to make, particularly civilians who might not be aware of the Red Cross resources available to veterans and military families.

“The level of sacrifice when you’re in the military,” he explained. “It’s so noble in our own communities to take care of our veterans or family members of those who are serving, because they are the ones who really sacrifice.”

He concluded with that all too familiar motto he was raised on years ago.

“The more you give, the more you get back.”

The month of May is Military Appreciation Month, the American Red Cross is inviting people around the country to turn ‘Thank you for your service’ into action. For those with a military background or just a heart for military and veteran communities, you can learn more about ways to volunteer and support Service to the Armed Forces by visiting www.redcross.org/saf.