Grandfather watched flag raising on Iwo Jima during WWII
Tom Smolarz son of Joe and Paige Smolarz a graduate of Colon Sr/Jr High and Ohio Northern University is serving in United States Air Force.
The Colon Michigan native did his basic training at Lackland AFB San Antonio and is currently serving at The 110th Air Wing Battle Creek Michigan and serves as a Mission Intel Coordinator (MQ9).
Tom’s current rank is Airman First Class (E-3) and leaves for technical training at Goodfellow AFB in May. After graduating from tech school Smolarz plans on serving at the 110th for at least the next 17 years to round out a proper 20. He hopes to make officer at the end of my second enlistment.
Hobbies/Interest:
I enjoy sports both playing and watching. In the summer I try to spend as much time on the water as possible: wake boarding, tubing, water volleyball, and pontooning. I have 3 little brothers and like spending as much time with them as possible. I enjoy keeping up with politics, podcasts, and the UFC.
Inspiration:
Tom gathers inspiration from his paternal grandfather who was a Marine in WW2. "He saw a fair amount of action in the pacific theater including the flag being raised on Iwo Jima but I’d say the inspiration started before I knew about my grandfather's service, " He said.
I was in third grade when the attack on 9/11 occurred. I was only 8 years old but I remember for the first time in my life that I saw both my parents scared and it's the earliest memory I have of my mother crying. I just remember I wanted to stop whatever it was that made my mom cry. As I grew up and learned more and more about terrorism, asymmetrical warfare, and the horrific causes it had throughout the world
not just against the US, I became determined to serve and do my part in the fight against global terrorism. I graduated from ONU with a degree in International Political Science with a focus in counter terrorism and then joined the Air Force in the intel field to do my part.