  The Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) for JWST is supplied with a suite of
imaging bandpass filters optimized for full spectral coverage in eight
intermediate-width bands from 5 to 26 microns and a narrower one at 11.3
microns. This contrasts with previous infrared space telescopes, which
generally have provided only two broad bands, one near 10 microns and the other
near 20 microns. The expanded MIRI spectral capability provides new
possibilities for detailed interpretation of survey results. This is an
important feature of the instrument, on top of its great increase in
sensitivity and angular resolution over any previous mission. The Systematic
Mid-infrared Instrument Legacy Extragalactic Survey (SMILES) was designed to
take full advantage of this capability. This paper briefly describes the
history of infrared surveys that paved the way for MIRI on JWST and for our
approach to designng SMILES. It illustrates the use of the observations for a
broad range of science programs, and concludes with a brief summary of the need
for additional surveys with JWST/MIRI.
