NY Army One-Star General and Lorain Native Isabel Rivera Smith, Retires after 40 Plus Years of Military Service

Smith has served as the Guard's 53rd Troop Command commander and most recently as the director of joint staff for the New York National Guard

Latham, New York (04/27/2026) — Latham, New York - A New York Army National Guard one-star general who was born and raised in Lorain and graduated from Admiral King High School, ended her over 40-year military career on Friday, April 24, 2026.

Brig. General Isabel Rivera Smith, who enlisted in the Army as a truck driver in 1985, was honored during her retirement ceremony held at New York National Guard headquarters in Latham, New York.

Smith most recently served as director of joint staff for the 16,000- member New York National Guard.

She has also served as the commander of the 5,074 Soldiers of the 53rd Troop Command.

Smith currently lives in Albany but will be relocating to Fayetteville, North Carolina where her family has a home.

Major General Michel Natali, the assistant adjutant general, Army, and the presiding officer at Smith's retirement ceremony, praised her as an outstanding leader.

Her role as director of joint staff made Smith directly responsible for managing the New York National Guard's responses to the Covid 19 pandemic, an influx of migrants to New York City, and then the corrections officers strike in 2025, Natali said.

At the same time, she was also responsible for managing the New York National Guard's training partnerships with the militaries of South Africa, Brazil and Sweden, he added.

"That was a tremendous amount of trust and responsibility for one of the most dedicated and hard-working officers that I've ever had the privilege of working with" he said.

In her remarks, Smith thanked the people she'd served beside over the years, as well as her family-her husband Peter, their seven children, and their nine grandchildren-for supporting her during her career.

She recalled that as a young Soldier she stood in a formation, watching a warrant officer retire after 40 years and thinking, who would be dumb enough to stay in the Army that long.

"Now I guess that's me," she said to applause.

Serving as an enlisted Soldier made her a better officer, Smith said.

She concluded by telling the members of the National Guard in the audience to " continue to be a beacon of hope and strength that you've always been."

"Serve with honor, always lead with integrity, and always, always take care of each other," she said.

As director of joint staff Smith was responsible for coordinating operations and activities involving both the New York Army and Air National Guard, as well as the New York Naval Militia and the New York Guard, the state's volunteer defense force.

During the ceremony she was presented with the New York State Conspicuous Service Medal and the Defense Superior Service Medal.

After joining the Army Smith was assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where she served in the 368 Air Defense Artillery Battalion.

In 1988, she enlisted in the North Carolina Army National Guard; and in 1989, she transferred to the New York Army National Guard. In 1995, Smith was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps after graduating from Officer Candidate School.

Smith's assignments also included serving as commander of the 369th Special Troops Battalion and as Deputy Team Chief - at the Iraq Police National Headquarters in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn.

Smith also served in several key staff assignments, including deputy director of logistics for the New York National Guard, executive officer for the Office of the Adjutant General, and Chief of Staff for the 53rd Troop Command.

Smith's military education includes the Basic NCO Course, Command and General Staff College, the U.S. Army War College, the Joint Task Force Commander Training Course, the National Security Management Course at the University of Syracuse, and the Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executives in National and International Security Course.

Her awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal. Smith is also the recipient of the 2017 Latina Style Military Service Award.

She holds a bachelor's degree in human services from Mount St. Mary's College, and a master's degree in education in Counseling and Development from Long Island University.

Smith and her husband, Peter, have seven children and nine grandchildren.

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