RIYADH: The US Senate confirmed Friday the appointment of Brig. Gen. James B. Smith of New Hampshire to be the country’s ambassador in the Kingdom, according to the US Embassy here. The confirmation was made after US President Barack Obama nominated Smith on June 4. Confirming the appointment, an official from the US Embassy said Saturday that the mission is not in a position to give the details regarding the new envoy’s arrival in Saudi Arabia. Smith succeeds Ford Fraker, who left the Kingdom on completion of his tenure in April. Richard Erdman, a senior diplomat is currently the charge d’affaires of the mission until the new ambassador takes over. “I maintain a great respect for Saudi Arabia, its culture and its commitment to regional stability,” Smith said in a statement prior to the confirmation. “The United States and Saudi Arabia have a deep and abiding partnership and, if confirmed, I will work to further strengthen our ties with this vital ally to advance US interests on a wide range of regional security challenges.” Smith is an international business development executive at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. Previous assignments at Raytheon include vice president of government business in Wichita, Kansas and vice president of Precision Engagement in Tucson, Arizona. Prior to joining Raytheon, Smith was director of Navy C2 programs for Lockheed Martin Mission Systems. Smith served as deputy commander at the Joint Warfighting Center of the US Joint Forces Command in Suffolk, Virginia, where he was responsible for managing the joint force exercise and training development program. Smith’s distinguished aviation career includes combat sorties during Desert Storm. He commanded the 94th Tactical Fighter Squadron and 325th Operations Group. He served as the CSAF chair at the National War College and as vice director of operations for the North American Air Defense Command. Smith previously served as commander of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base in Japan The general is a 1974 graduate of the US Air Force Academy. He received a master’s degree in history from Indiana University in 1975.
