Major General Zannie O. Smith was born in Hopewell, Virginia.  As a graduate of the University of Tampa he was commissioned through Officer Candidate School as an Infantry second lieutenant in 1967. He earned a Masters Degree in Art in Business Management  from Webster University. His military education includes the Infantry Officer  Advanced Course, Command and General Staff College and the Army War College.

His career path includes a variety of command and staff positions. He served as a Platoon Leader and Executive Officer, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) and Commander, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) Republic of Vietnam.  In Fort Sherman, Panama he was a senior instructor and committee chief at the Jungle Operations Training Center.  MG Smith then served with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina as a company commander and battalion S-3 in the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 505th Infantry and was later assigned as assistant G-3 Operations Officer.  He also served at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas as the Operations Officer for the Combined Army Tactical Training Simulations Division.

He was assigned as an operations officer in the Combined Field Army, Republic of Korea, then became Battalion S-3, Battalion Executive Officer and Brigade Executive Officer in the 7th Infantry Division (Light) at Fort Ord, California.  His next tour was at the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans at the Pentagon. MG Smith commanded the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y. from January 1986, then became the division G-3.

He served in Desert Shield and Desert Storm as the Deputy G-3, XVIIIth Airborne Corps and from November 1991 until October 1993 he commanded the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade.  MG Smith's subsequent assignments were Chief of Staff, Joint Task Force, Somalia, Chief of Staff, 101st Airborne Division and G-3,  XVIIIth Airborne Corps.  From 1 May 1995 to 1 December 1995 he became Chief of Staff, United States Army Reserve Command, Atlanta, Ga.  He became the Assistant Division Commander for Operations of the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum on 9 May 1997.  MG Smith was the Ist Corps and Fort Lewis Chief of Staff from 17 July 1998 until 20 August 1999.s awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star medal with "V" device with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal. He is a Master Parachutist and has been awarded both the Ranger Tab and the Combat Infantryman's Badge.