Madison County Circuit Judge Sarah Smith graduated from the United States Army War College after completing the resident and correspondence courses.
Smith was selected as one of three Illinois Army National Guard officers to attend the college two years ago.
“The US Army War College is a difficult program to get into,” Smith stated in a press release. “I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the senior leaders of the Illinois Army National Guard who believed in me enough to select me for this exceptional learning experience.”
Roughly 80 percent of the class graduated this year.
“It is a strenuous two-year program. Like most of the students, I was balancing a civilian career, family, my duties with the National Guard and the curriculum requirements,” Smith stated. “I want to thank my family, particularly my husband and three boys for taking this journey with me. There were some stressful times over the past two years but they kept pushing me through.”
The US Army War College was founded in 1901 and focuses on key concepts in the study of war at the strategic level including national security policy, strategic leadership, and national strategy with a focus on the relationships among military, economic, diplomatic and informational elements of power in a domestic and international context.
Graduates of the US Army War College receive a Master of Strategic Studies degree.
Graduates of the college include President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Genearls Omar Bradley, George Patton, Colin Powell, Norman Schwarzkopf and Tommy Franks.
Smith was mobilized for the first time with the National Guard in 2005 in support of Hurricane Katrina. She has experience overseas as the Chief of Operational and Administrative Law for the 35th Infantry Division in Kosovo and as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
She served as the first female military judge in the Army National Guard.
She has also earned awards for her military service, including the Bronze Star Medal for her time in Afghanistan.
“I have learned so much from all of my military experiences,” Smith stated. “I am excited to use the strategic knowledge and critical thinking skills form this program and to see what doors open up for me in the future.”
She currently serves as the State Judge Advocate of the Illinois Army National Guard, where she is the highest ranking JAG officer.
Smith was appointed an associate judge in Madison County 2015 before she was elected a circuit judge in 2018. She announced in October that she is running on the Democrat ticket for the Fifth District Appellate Court.
Prior to becoming a judge, Smith practiced civil litigation and served as a prosecutor with the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office.