Lead With a Purpose

For Command Master Chief Jackey Smith, leadership is defined by people.
It is reflected in Sailors who find the confidence to overcome difficult days, in teammates who trust each other when circumstances turn dangerous, and ultimately, in whether every member of the team returns home together.
Smith’s perspective was shaped over a Navy career that began as an undesignated Seaman in the deck department, included combat service in Iraq, a battle with breast cancer and ultimately to her current role as Command Master Chief aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71).
Her journey to the Navy began far from the coast. Raised in Nebraska, Smith was pursuing a Marine Corps option through the University of Nebraska’s ROTC program when she decided to change course. After telling her Gunnery Sergeant she intended to enlist, Smith remained determined even after the Marine Corps recruiter could not secure her commitment.
The Navy recruiter next door offered her an undesignated Seaman contract and a $3,000 enlistment bonus.
Smith accepted.
Her first assignment in deck department laid the foundation for her development as a Sailor and leader.
“I tell a lot of undesignated Seamen that life in deck is not for the weak,” said Smith. “It’s where you learn your basics of being a Sailor. It’s where you learn the work ethic of making sure that you are pulling your weight on a team. I would never, ever give back that experience.”.
Although her supervisor believed she would make a great BM3, Smith had a different goal. She wanted to become a Journalist and pursue a career in public affairs.
With the help of her career counselor, Smith struck Journalist and began her public affairs career at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Unable to attend “A” School, she relied on self-study, learning from rating publications and guidance from her leadership to master the fundamentals and become fully qualified.
Her assignments included USS Ashland (LSD 48), Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, and later the Combat Camera detachment in San Diego.
At Combat Camera, Smith found herself serving as a Journalist among Photographer’s Mates. Rather than allowing the difference in ratings to limit her role, she sought opportunities to broaden her capabilities. She attended Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape school and pursued small-arms qualifications, determined to become a fully qualified member of the team.
That training would later become critical.
“Utilizing all of that training, once we went into harm’s way, it became second nature to make sure that me and my fellow shipmates and my fellow Army buddies got back to our families,” Smith recalls.
Smith deployed to Iraq with a team assigned to search for enemy targets. During one mission, as her team moved through a village, her training became instinctive.
“I had the training to know that there was probably a time when I would need to put my camera down and bring my weapon up,” Smith says.
That moment arrived when insurgents attacked, triggering an intense firefight.
Smith picked up her M4 and returned fire. When the team commander hesitated under threat, she helped refocus the team and led them to the Humvees, returning to the forward operating base.
Smith received the Bronze Star for her actions during the firefight.
She credits the recognition to the leaders and teammates who invested in training and prepared the team to perform under pressure.
In her first eight years, Smith advanced from undesignated Seaman to decorated combat veteran and chief petty officer. She later served as Public Affairs Chief for the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, a role she considered the pinnacle of her career.
In 2014, Smith’s career took another unexpected turn.
Smith was diagnosed with breast cancer and learned the disease was advancing. As a Chief, her instinct was to continue fulfilling her duties and not let cancer interfere with her service.
Her Chiefs Mess and leading petty officer saw It differently.
They encouraged Smith to take a leave of absence and focus on her health.
“At the height of everything, I‘m a faithful person. God said, ‘Hey, slow down. Slow down. Make sure you’re taking care of yourself,’” Smith says. “And taking care of myself meant I needed to be vulnerable.”
The experience changed not only Smith’s outlook on life, but also her approach to leadership.
Recovering from cancer reinforced for Smith that every Sailor carries a story that may not be visible to those around them. She became more deliberate about understanding the individual behind the uniform and more patient with Sailors as they worked through personal and professional challenges.
Smith’s leadership philosophy evolved further during the 2018 Pacific Partnership humanitarian exercise. While she valued supporting Sailors within her rating, the experience showed her the importance of serving the broader team.
At her next command, Smith was regularly asked to fill in for the Command Master Chief. These experiences reinforced her commitment to developing Chiefs and supporting Sailors across the command, leading her to pursue the Command Senior Enlisted Leader program.
Through the program, Smith served as Command Senior Chief aboard a destroyer and as executive assistant to Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy James Honea. She later became Command Master Chief of Destroyer Squadron 23 before reporting to USS Theodore Roosevelt.
Now, as Theodore Roosevelt’s Command Master Chief, Smith emphasizes that the aircraft carrier’s success depends on the entire crew working as one team.
She challenges leaders to understand their Sailors, recognize what they need to perform at their best, and help them navigate challenges. She expects junior Sailors to contribute to the team’s success by mastering the basics: arriving on time, wearing the correct uniform, and being ready to work, even when the job is demanding.
For Smith, leadership is measured by the team’s ability to succeed together.
“I truly believe no-one joined the Navy to fail,” Smith emphatically states. “For the Sailors who think, ‘I’m just doing this,’ or, ‘I only do this,’ my legacy that I wish to have is to allow Sailors to know that whatever it is that they believe that they want to do, they can achieve it. And they can achieve it through hard work. They can achieve it by making sure that whatever mentally is blocking them, they push past it. If I could choose what my legacy on this ship would be, it is making sure that all of our Sailors we deployed with, we came back with.”
Smith’s perspective on legacy is rooted in a lesson learned throughout her life: tomorrow is never guaranteed.
“People often ask why I’m so happy. It’s simple: I’m a cancer survivor. I survived war in Iraq. And every morning I wake up is another day God has given me. I’ve seen enough in this life to know that tomorrow isn’t promised,” Smith says. “So, when I have been given another day, I’m going to smile, be grateful, love hard, lead with purpose, and make the most of it.”
For a Sailor who began her career as an undesignated Seaman, survived combat and cancer, and rose to senior enlisted leadership aboard an aircraft carrier, Smith’s legacy continues to unfold. And the measure of that legacy is clear: ensuring the Sailors who deploy together return home together.

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