(WJBF) – It’s that time again where we introduce you to our Salute to Service honoree.

Each month we spotlight one of our men and women in uniform who continues to make a difference in our community.

This month we had the honor of speaking with retired Army veteran, Preston Smith. Preston is a man who wears many hats but at the end of the day it’s all about taking care of his family and community.

Smith is a retired Army Veteran of twenty years, and during his time there he covered a wide range of duties.

“I started out in the human resources field, switched over to the IT field later on, and then roughly about ten years into my career, I switched over to cyber operations.”

For Smith, serving his country was an honor.

“It’s a way for me to give back because my brother was also in the military, my sister was in the military, I got military in my family here and there so it was important for me to give back.”

Even though Smith is retired from serving his country, he still serves his community.

“I’ve coached youth football teams, basketball teams, giving back to the schools, work with underprivileged youth, mentorship with the underprivileged youth, toy drives.”

And for Smith, helping up and coming youths is important for the future.

“A lot of kids don’t get the same opportunities as others. Being able to let them know that they don’t have to be a product of their environment but they can also be a solution or a different factor when they come out, just giving them that opportunity and that hope to let them know that ‘hey this is not the end of the road for you, you can continue to proceed.”

It’s for his years of serving his country and his continued efforts in the community, is why Preston Smith is this month recipient of the Salute to Service Award.

“I’ve never been one to do things for awards so just being recognized is amazing.”

At the end of the day though, Smith just wants to thank everyone that’s special to him.

“I want to thank my wife, my kids, they’re my driving force, with out them I wouldn’t be able to do the things I do, I’d like to thank my brothers and sisters in the military, my mom, dad, and family all over the world. If you know me, you know we’re family.”