Master Chief (SW) Ashley B. Smith was born and raised in Great Falls, Mont., in 1953 and enlisted in the delayed entry program in June 1975.  Completing basic training at Naval Training Center, San Diego, in November 1975, he went on to Hull Maintenance Technician "A" School at
Treasure Island, Calif. After "A" School, he went directly to C-1 Welding School, also in San Diego, where he qualified as a pipe welder.

Smith reported to his first tour of duty aboard USS Fanning (FF 1076), where he advanced to Petty Officer Second class and also qualified as the ship's first enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist. Upon completion of his tour in 1979, he was selected for his first overseas tour to USS
Holland (AS 32), homeported in Holy Loch, Scotland. Reporting aboard Holland, he was assigned to the repair department, R-1 division pipe shop where he was subsequently advanced to Petty Officer First class. In 1981, Smith was again assigned to the San Diego area at Shore
Intermediate Maintenance Activity, where he served in the weld shop or two years.

Smith was selected for the second time for orders outside the continental United States to USS Proteus (AS 19), located in Apra Harbor, Guam, where he was once again assigned to the repair
department, R-1 division pipe shop. He was advanced to Chief Petty Officer in 1984 during a Western Pacific deployment. After his tour aboard Proteus in 1985, he transferred to USS Samuel Gompers (AD 37) where he served as the planning/estimating and pipe shop Leading Chief
Petty Officer and completed two more highly successful Western Pacific deployments. In 1988, he transferred to Naval Technical Training Center, Treasure Island as an instructor at the Damage Controlman "A" School and subsequently qualified as a master training specialist.

In 1993, he graduated from the U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy. His follow-on orders took him back to USS Samuel Gompers as R-1 division officer for two and a half years, two more Western Pacific deployments and the ship's decommissioning in 1995. After the decommissioning, Smith was once again assigned to USS Holland, this time homeported in Apra Harbor, Guam. Smith brought Holland back to Puget Sound (Wash.)   Shipyard for decommissioning in 1996, the same year he was advanced to Master Chief Petty Officer. After completing the ship's decommissioning, he was assigned to Shore Intermediate Maintenance
Activity, San Diego as the repair department Master Chief.

In 1998, Smith was accepted into the Command Master Chief program and became the third Command Master Chief on board USS Stethem (DDG 63). Serving in this position from January 1999 until June 2001, he completed two Western Pacific/Arabian Gulf deployments.

His second Command Master Chief tour was at Naval Station, San Diego, from July 2001 until January 2003. In February 2003, Smith reported to Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet as the Chief of Naval Operations directed Master Chief.

In 2005 he was selected as the Surface Navy Association's "Old Tar" the same year he reported to USS KITTY HAWK as Command Master Chief. He carried the title of "Old Tar" until 2007. Smith has been an active member of the SNA since joining in 1998, and was a member of the San Diego chapter, until transferring to Japan where he was active also.

Smith has completed seven Indian Ocean/Western Pacific deployments on various ships in the surface force. His personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (four awards) and Navy Achievement Medal (2 awards).

He retired from active duty in October of 2007 after 32 years of honorable service.