Colonel Halbert R (Rudy) Smart was born and raised in Galveston, Texas and graduated from Texas A & M. Upon entering the Air Force, Rudy was trained as a Navigator and Electronic Warfare Officer. His first duty assignment was to Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota where he flew in B-52’s. Next, Rudy went to Castle AFB, California to instruct in B-52’s. When this tour ended in 1968, Rudy had married the former Terry Lemmond and they were sent to Kadena AFB, Okinawa, Japan for a two and a half year honeymoon. Here Rudy flew RC-135’s in South East Asia.

Upon completion of the tour on Okinawa in 1971, Rudy was a brand new Major and reassigned to Armed Forces Staff College as a student. When this course was completed, he was sent to the Seventh Air Force Electronic Warfare Division in Saigon. Here Rudy directed electronic warfare employment in support of tactical aircraft activities in both North and South Vietnam as well as support to B-52 missions. In addition, Rudy was involved in a number of classified joint operations before the war came to an end.

Next, Rudy was given a career broadening assignment in the Pentagon. Assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency, he was involved in numerous special projects involving support to friendly countries. When this tour ended, Rudy took the family to his next assignment, in Germany in the summer of 1976. He found himself enjoying good food, good beer and working in NATO at Ramstein AFB, assigned to Allied Air Forces Central Europe (AAFCE) in the Intelligence Division Special Plans Branch. Here Rudy worked on integrating NATO intelligence capabilities with US intelligence capabilities at the Central Regions wartime bunker and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.

Returning to the states in 1979, Rudy was reassigned to the 343rd Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, at Offutt AFB, Omaha, Nebraska and began flying reconnaissance missions again. Subsequently, he became the Squadron Operations Officer and then the Squadron Commander. After being promoted to Colonel, Rudy was moved up to Strategic Air Command (SAC) Headquarters. Here, as a Director (DOJ), he was responsible for Electronic Warfare, Aircraft Tactics Development and Training, and Aircraft Test.

In 1986, Rudy was again assigned to the Pentagon. He was assigned to the Joint Staff as the J-34 and responsible for Electronic Warfare, Deception, Operations Security, and Special Technical Operations. He remained in this position until he retired in 1989.

After retiring, Rudy went into Real Estate in the Northern Virginia area until moving to Charleston, SC in 1999.