Army Staff Sgt Smith was assigned to the 545th Military Police Company, Arctic Military Police Battalion, Fort Richardson, Alaska. He died of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an explosive device while on patrol. Shannon was a member of the football, baseball and wrestling teams while attending Marion Harding High School. He excelled in wrestling and was a National Qualifier for the Greco Roman freestyle wrestling team. In 1997 he graduated from high school and joined the Army. As a trained sniper, Shannon conducted several missions supporting the Secret Service Tac Team and Sniper Team with the President of the United States. He had been awarded numerous citations and decorations including: The Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Combat Action Badge, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Iraq and Kosovo Campaign Medals. Shannon has served in missions in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq – he was deployed to Iraq in May leaving behind his wife, Cassie, and son. Shannon was a natural born leader and constantly challenged his guys as a coach and mentor. He loved training his men and felt it was his duty to get them in top form as their protector. Shannon enjoyed anything associated with the outdoors – fishing, deer hunting with a compound bow, sightseeing, hiking, canoeing and photographing Alaska. He loved cheering for his beloved OSU Buckeyes and had a room designed entirely with Buckeyes memorabilia in his home. Shannon was devoted to his men and job and gave everything he had to every challenge. He was kind hearted, fun loving and a constant jokester. Shannon's family would want others to know that he did not consider himself to be special or a hero. He always took the worst of any situation and was able to make it better. He knew it was his job to protect his country and did his best every day to see to it that the loved ones he left at home were safe.