Wallace High School graduate Billy Smith continues to make the Silver Valley proud as a leader in the United States Navy.

As of Feb. 6, Command Master Chief Smith is serving as command master chief of Naval District Washington, in Washington, D.C.

This comes just two years after he completed a three-year tour at Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) in Miami, and upon completion of time in Florida, he accepted the senior enlisted position at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, in Hawaii.

After spending so much time in the Navy, Smith needed to refresh his perspective — which is exactly what he did during his time at NTAG, which likely helped prolong his career.

"The Navy was starting to lose some of its shine after being in for 30-plus years," Smith said. "Working with applicants and future Sailors helped me see the Navy with a fresh set of eyes and take note of what matters."

Naval District Washington has been nicknamed the “Quarterdeck of the Navy” — the quarterdeck is the raised deck behind the main mast of a ship, where you will commonly find the ship’s captain — meaning that much of the Navy’s direction and leadership comes from this particular district. It is the oldest of 11 Naval Regions and encompasses seven naval installations that are spread out over 4,000 square miles through Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

Effectively speaking, Command Master Smith is working at the command hub of the United States’ second oldest branch of the military.

“It has been the opportunity of a lifetime to live, work and lead 93,000 beneficiaries on one of the Navy’s most historic installations,” Smith said. “I left Pearl Harbor with a heavy heart, but I look forward to my tour in Washington and to continuing to make a difference for sailors and their families.”

Besides his time in Hawaii and Florida, Smith has served tours as an enlisted leader around the globe including Naval Support Facility Deveselu in Romania, and Coastal Riverine Group 2 in Manama, Bahrain.

Smith grew up in Osburn, and graduated from WHS in 1991 — the same year he enlisted in the Navy.

"I miss the mountains, hunting, fishing, camping, and most of all, my family," Smith said previously. "I love where I came from; people from small towns have great values and are solid people.

Smith's mother Teddy Drews and grandmother Elaine Drews still reside in the valley.