Madison County Judge Sarah D. Smith Returns from International Military Exercise Bright Star 2025
Circuit Judge Smith returns home after key role in large-scale, multinational joint military exercise.
EDWARDSVILLE – The Third Judicial Circuit of Madison County is proud to announce the return of the Honorable Sarah D. Smith, Circuit Judge, following her two-week mobilization to serve in a senior leadership role during Bright Star 2025, one of the largest multinational military exercises in the world. The exercise, held in Egypt, concluded in mid-September and brought together over a dozen allied nations for high-level joint training operations.
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Judge Smith, a presiding circuit judge in Madison County and a long-serving officer in the Illinois Army National Guard (ILARNG), was recently appointed as the ILARNGs G7 – Plans and Exercises Officer, where she is responsible for leading and integrating long-range planning and operational design. Bright Star 2025 marked her first mission in this new strategic role, following her prior service as the State Judge Advocate.
During the exercise, Judge Smith served as Chief of Staff for the exercise’s Higher Command (HICON), overseeing daily operations, staff coordination, and multinational planning teams. She led a diverse group of over 40 senior enlisted and officer personnel across multiple staff sections, overseeing everything from operations and logistics to real-time exercise control and scenario integration.
“Judge Smith continues to exemplify the highest standard of public service,” said Chief Judge Chris Threlkeld, Third Judicial Circuit. “Her ability to balance judicial responsibilities at home with high-level military leadership abroad speaks to her extraordinary commitment to service, discipline, and excellence.”
Bright Star 2025 focused on coalition interoperability, regional security cooperation, and large-scale contingency operations. Judge Smith’s leadership helped facilitate coordination between U.S. and partner nation forces, including integrated planning and relationship building with Egyptian military officials and joint task force elements.
“I’m honored to represent both Madison County and the Illinois National Guard on the international stage,” said Judge Smith. “This mission reflects how we can build strong relationships with global partners while developing the leadership and readiness of our Guard units back home.”
Judge Smith’s dual career is emblematic of the dedication of Illinois’s citizen-soldiers—individuals who serve both in the courtroom and on the battlefield, ensuring justice and security at home and abroad.
Bright Star is a recurring U.S.-Egyptian military training exercise that dates back to 1980. Now one of the largest joint training events in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, Bright Star fosters regional security and military cooperation through large-scale command post operations, live-fire ranges, and joint staff coordination across multiple services and nations.
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