As a retired U.S. Air Force pilot and brigadier general, I believe Sen.Barack Obama should be our next commander in chief.
I spent years in Colorado as a student at the Air Force Academy and later as the deputy for Operations at NORAD, and it's my belief that Obama will be the best president for servicemen and women in Colorado and across the country.
Raised by a WWII vet, Obama holds the utmost respect for those who serve. He believes that we have a sacred trust to keep with our country's veterans, which is why he sought out a seat on the Veterans Affairs Committee when he arrived in the U.S. Senate.
Obama has the best voting record for veterans of any member of the last Congress, while his Republican opponent John McCain has voted against increases in veterans' benefits 29 different times. The record is very clear on which candidate will fight for the benefits our veterans have earned.
When I commanded the 18th Fighter Wing, my airmen liked to get the "big picture." Like you, I wanted to be assured Obama had a plan to lead the United States.
At this critical point in our country's history, there is only one candidate who has the judgment, vision and character to make our country safer and lead our men and women in uniform.
In my view, here are the key points of his foreign policy plan.
He will end the war in Iraq. Not with a scramble to pull out, but with a steady pace to reduce combat forces and keep a joint residual force to protect our servicemembers and diplomats, continue the successful training of Iraq's security forces, and target remnants of al-Qaida in Iraq.
Obama will finally give Afghanistan the high-level attention it needs, providing our commanders with the resources they need to win and investing in Afghanistan's economic development. But he'll also make sure that the Afghan government, police and military are doing their part by cracking down on corruption and the illicit opium trade and building up provincial reconstruction teams, that can work to defeat the Taliban at the local level.
We all know that Pakistan is vital and Obama will take several actions to address the situation there, from increasing non-military aid to keeping the pressure on security in the border region with Afghanistan.
Make no mistake: A President Obama will finish the fight with al-Qaida and the Taliban.
Having traveled with Obama throughout the past 16 months, I know he has a comprehensive plan for keeping our nation secure, including rebuilding our global alliances and ending our dependence on foreign oil in the next 10 years.
As an airman, I know Obama understands we must preserve our unparalleled airpower capabilities to deter and defeat any competitors, swiftly respond to crises across the globe, and support our ground forces. In the Air Force we called that global reach and power - and Obama gets it.
What I respect most about Barack Obama is something I recognized in my first meeting with him: he listens. He has the steady demeanor of a true leader and he listens to the experts, encouraging input from those with dissenting opinions.
Obama will listen to his military commanders, he will listen to his diplomats, and he will listen to our allies. That flow of advice will be more critical than ever in the years ahead as America deals with resurgent powers and rising nations around the globe.
We live in a multi-polar world - and it's one we've helped create. Now is our chance to make it safe for us, our children and generations to come.
As Obama said more than a year ago: "In the words of President Franklin Roosevelt, we lead the world in battling immediate evils and promoting the ultimate good."
Like me, he believes America is the "last, best hope of Earth," so I hope you will join me in casting your vote for Barack Obama.
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Smith was vice director for Operations at NORAD and served as the commander of the 18th Fighter Wing on Okinawa. He was deputy commander of the Joint Warfighting Center in Suffolk, Va., before retiring in 2002.
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