The Order of the Sword is the highest honor and tribute noncommissioned officers can bestow upon an individual in the United States Air Force. Since its inception in 1967, only a very, very few Air Force officers have ever been honored by their induction into this exclusive fraternity, a fraternity that includes just one Public Affairs officer.

That officer? Hal Smarkola.

That Hal would be chosen for this unique honor by the enlisted personnel at AFNEWS when he retired as their commander comes as no surprise to those who knew and worked with him. While he can claim a long list of tangible accomplishments during his 29-year active duty career – like his management of the Joint Information Bureau he set up during the humanitarian airlift into war-torn Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the roles he played in the development of the NFL’s Salute to the Air Force and the naming of the Hollywood film Air Force One – mentoring and taking care of people always remained Hal Smarkola’s number one priority.

Hailing from Philadelphia, and thus a die hard Eagles fan, Hal graduated from Penn State in 1971, with a commission as a second lieutenant through the AFROTC program. Only seven years after entering active duty, with stints at pilot training and base level information offices in between, Captain Smarkola found himself at the Pentagon, where he was first assigned as an action officer in the Community Relations division. His talents obvious, he was quickly tapped to become the special assistant to the Director of Public Affairs.

Hal left the Pentagon to go to Air Command and Staff College, and after ACSC he became famous (some might say infamous!) throughout the PA career field as the officer assignments guru at AFMPC. From Randolph he headed to Ramstein AB, Germany, where he was the media chief and then deputy director of USAFE/PA. From Germany it was back to the Pentagon, where he held two very demanding positions, first in the acquisition world as the special PA assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, and then as the SAF/PA Deputy Director.

Not many PAs get the opportunity to command, but Hal was a natural choice to be a commander. His final tour, as the commander of the Air Force News Agency, gave Hal the chance to do what he did best – guide, motivate, and ensure the welfare of his people. The communication innovations he introduced there had benefits throughout the Air Force, but it was his deft touch with people that made Hal special. That he would be inducted into the Order of of the Sword by those he commanded at AFNEWS tells you everything you need to know about Hal Smarkola.

Well, not really. There’s more.

Both while he was on active duty, and after he retired as the AFNEWS commander, Hal had a much more difficult challenge than anything the Air Force ever threw at him – having to watch and take care of his wife Peggy as she spent the last 25 of their 47 year marriage battling seven different cancers. Peggy passed away in 2018. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise, at least for a group of people he didn't know, yet would soon meet, but dealing with Peggy’s death gave Hal a new purpose to his life.

His next mission: visiting military veterans in hospice care.

The CEO of Abode, an end of life home for guests receiving hospice care in San Antonio, has Hal’s phone number on speed dial. Whenever a veteran there is approaching the end, Hal comes to visit, and simply talks – at a time and place when most Americans don’t know what to say. He helps families deal with a coming loss by telling stories, saying thank you, and listening. He presents the veteran with a flag, and they exchange a final salute.

Hal’s very unique mission was featured in the story "The Final Salute" in World magazine. To read it, click here, or on the image above, or listen to an accompanying podcast. Don’t miss either the story or the podcast – you can’t help but be touched.

And that word pretty much sums up Hal Smarkola's amazing career. Wherever he goes, he is touching people, and they are better for it.

In addition to the support he provides dying veterans and their families, Hal has also found yet another unexpected and unique way to touch people. Combining his military background with his love of musical theater, he is a producer of the musical “Finding Helena”, a riveting story of a couple separated in the chaos of World War II. You never know, but you may be seeing Hal’s next act on Broadway soon!

For more details about his fascinating career, you can read Hal's biography here.