Rob Smith

If you recognize Rob Smith’s face then you are not alone. Rob was a contestant on VH1’s hugely popular reality show “I want to work for Diddy”. Though he didn’t win, he has managed to make the most out of his notoriety from the show. The former Syracuse University graduate and Army veteran served for almost a year in Iraq in 2003 where he served as machine gun lineman, driver, and mechanic. He served in the Army for 4 ½ years before deciding not to re-enlist because of the DADT policy. After the show aired, he began traveling across the country speaking about his experiences living under DADT. He hopes to connect with other LGB vets who felt the isolation of living under the discriminatory policy. “I was there. I made it through the storm, and the only thing I can think of is why I made it when others didn’t.” Rob has written for The Huffington Post and Swerv and is currently working on his memoir.