Brigadier General Manu Lauaki Smith Davis was born on the Island of Tonga. She is a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa and holds a Master of Science degree in Administration with a concentration in Strategic Leadership from Central Michigan University. Her military education includes completion of the Quartermaster Basic and Advanced Courses, the Combined Arms and Service Staff School, and the United States Army Command and General Staff College. She is also a graduate of the U.S. Army War College at Harvard University through the fellowship program.
With more than 30 years of service, Brig. Gen. Davis has served in a variety of assignments around the world including stints in Korea, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, the National Training Center in California and the Pentagon. She has served in both the active and reserve components first enlisting as a 31C, telecommunicator in the Army Reserve. While on active duty, she served as a platoon leader, commanded a company, and served as a battalion operations officer with the Division Support Command. She later had a culminating assignment as an intern with the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Counterdrug Policy and Support followed by a tour as an assignment officer at the United States Army Human Resources Command.
In 2004, she transitioned to the Active Guard Reserve Program where she served in multiple assignments. They included service as an operations officer for the 304th Corps Materiel Management Center; multiple roles with the 311th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) in Los Angeles as its executive officer, chief of operations and later as the command inspector general. She also deployed with the 311th ESC in 2008. Brig. Gen. Davis served as the Deputy Commanding Officer at the 1394th Transportation Brigade, Camp Pendleton, California in 2012. She later took on more responsibility as the Division Chief Troop Support within the Deputy Chief of Staff Office for G4 (logistics). Following this assignment, she was selected to be the Deputy Chief of Staff for G4 at U.S. Army Reserve Command in North Carolina. After leaving Fort Liberty for the 143d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) to serve as its chief of staff, she later deployed with the unit and transitioned to be the support operations officer during its deployment to U.S. Central Command’s area of operation in the Middle East.
Brig. Gen. Davis has received numerous honors throughout her career. They include four Legion of Merits, six Meritorious Service Medals, a Joint Commendation Medal, four Army Commendation Medals and three Army Achievement Medals.
BG Davis is married and resides in Orlando, Florida with her husband.