Brig. Gen. Tammy Smith made national news last week for being the first openly gay military officer to achieve flag rank. She prefers a narrative that focuses less on her sexuality and more on her professional career. Smith, an Oakland native and University of Oregon graduate, said in a phone interview that she understands why her sexuality is newsworthy. The 49-year-old with 26 years of military experience and a 2010 deployment to Afghanistan wanted coverage of her promotion to be more than just a story about her becoming the first gay general. Since Smith was anointed general on Aug. 10, …