# Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy

Terrence John O'Shaughnessy (born c. 1964) is a retired United States Air Force four-star general who previously served as the commander of United States Northern Command and as the commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command.

## Military career

O'Shaughnessy was born in North Bay, Ontario, Canada, the son of Terrence O'Shaughnessy, an orthodontist who was originally from Cobalt, Ontario. The family relocated to Framingham, Massachusetts in 1968. He is a 1986 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels, including the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Force Base, Japan, the 613th Air and Space Operations Center at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and the 57th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. O'Shaughnessy has served as the United States Pacific Command Director of Operations responsible for joint operations in a region encompassing more than half the globe and 36 nations. O'Shaughnessy's joint experience also extends to his time as the Joint Staff J5 Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs for Asia where he shaped regional planning and policy in the Asia-Pacific and Central Asia regions, supporting the commanders of United States Pacific Command and United States Central Command. Prior to his current assignment, O'Shaughnessy was the Deputy Commander, United Nations Command in Korea; Deputy Commander, United States Forces Korea; Commander, Air Component Command, Republic of Korea/United States Combined Forces Command; and Commander, Seventh Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Osan Air Base, South Korea, as well as the commander of Pacific Air Forces.
O'Shaughnessy is a command pilot with more than 3,000 hours in the F-16 Fighting Falcon, including 168 combat hours.
In August 2019, O'Shaughnessy stirred up the military space community when he said at a defense conference that "Elon Musk’s SpaceX may have just 'completely changed our ability' to sense threats against America using satellite clusters in space" by the new technology demonstrated by SpaceX May launch of the initial group of Starlink megaconstellation. O’Shaughnessy has reportedly had a high-level role at SpaceX's Starshield defense satellite constellation.
According to General Guillot, O'Shaughnessy proposed the SHIELD missile defense system, which stands for Strategic Homeland Integrated Ecosystem for Layered Defense.

## Post-military career

Since 2021, O'Shaughnessy is employed by SpaceX where he leads government programs.

## Education

* 1986 Distinguished graduate, Bachelor of Science, Aeronautical Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
* 1992 Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
* 1993 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
* 1996 Master of Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.
* 1998 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
* 2003 Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
* 2003 Information Studies Concentration Program, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
* 2005 NATO Senior Officer Policy Course, NATO School, Oberammergau, Germany
* 2007 Department of Defense Senior Managers Course in National Security, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
* 2007 Air Force Enterprise Leadership Course, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
* 2009 Combined Air and Space Operations Senior Staff Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
* 2011 Joint Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
* 2012 Joint Flag Officer Warfighter Course
* 2013 Joint Force Maritime Component Commander Course, Newport, Rhode Island.
* 2015 National Defense University PINNACLE Course, Suffolk, Va.

## Assignments

1. June 1986 – September 1987, student, undergraduate pilot training, Sheppard AFB, Texas 2. September 1987 – August 1988, student, T-38 lead-in fighter training and F-16 training, Holloman AFB, N.M., and Luke AFB, Ariz. 3. August 1988 – December 1991, F-16 aircraft commander and instructor pilot, Shaw AFB, S.C. 4. January 1992 – June 1992, student, F-16 Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev. 5. July 1992 – July 1993, weapons officer and flight commander, 35th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan AB, South Korea 6. July 1993 – July 1997, assistant operations officer and air-to-ground flight commander, F-16 Division, U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev. 7. July 1997 – June 1998, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 8. June 1998 – June 1999, Chief, Air Superiority Weapons Branch, Global Power Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 9. June 1999 – June 2000, Chief, Fighter Programs, Office of Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 10. June 2000 – April 2001, operations officer, 555th Fighter Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy 11. April 2001 – July 2002, Commander, 510th Fighter Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy 12. August 2002 – June 2003, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 13. June 2003 – August 2004, Chief, Joint Plans and Operations, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Mons, Belgium 14. August 2004 – July 2005, senior special assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander, U.S. European Command, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Mons, Belgium 15. July 2005 – December 2006, Commander, 57th Adversary Tactics Group, Nellis AFB, Nev. 16. January 2007 – August 2008, Commander, 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa AB, Japan 17. September 2008 – August 2009, Commander, 613th Air and Space Operations Center, Hickam AFB, Hawaii 18. August 2009 – July 2010, Vice Commander, 13th Air Force, Hickam AFB, Hawaii 19. July 2010 – April 2012, Commander, 57th Wing, Nellis AFB, Nev. 20. April 2012 – August 2013, Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs for Asia, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 21. August 2013 – October 2014 – Director for Operations, Headquarters, United States Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii 22. December 2014 – July 2016, Deputy Commander, United Nations Command Korea; Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces Korea; Commander, Air Component Command, Republic of Korea/U.S. Combined Forces Command; and Commander, 7th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Osan AB, South Korea 23. July 2016 – May 2018, Commander, Pacific Air Forces; Air Component Commander for U.S. Pacific Command; and Executive Director, Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii 24. May 2018 – August 2020, Commander, USNORTHCOM; Commander, NORAD

## Flight information

* Rating: Command Pilot
* Flight hours: more than 3,000
* Aircraft flown: F-16, AT/T-38 and T-37

## Awards and decorations

* US Air Force Command Pilot Badge
* Basic Parachutist Badge
* Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
* Philippine Air Force Gold Wings Badge
* Weapons School Graduate Patch
* North American Aerospace Defense Command Badge
* United States Northern Command Badge
* Defense Distinguished Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
* Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
* Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
* Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters
* Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
* Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
* Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
* Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
* Air Force Achievement Medal with "V" device and two oak leaf clusters
* Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
* Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
* Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
* Combat Readiness Medal
* National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
* Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
* Kosovo Campaign Medal with service star
* Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
* Korea Defense Service Medal
* Humanitarian Service Medal
* Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
* Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon with oak leaf cluster
* Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon with four oak leaf clusters
* Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with two oak leaf clusters
* Air Force Longevity Service Award with one silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
* Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with bronze service star
* Air Force Training Ribbon
* Order of National Security Merit, Gukseon Medal (Republic of Korea)
* Order of the Rising Sun, Grand Cordon (Japan)
* Meritorious Service Cross, Military Division (Canada)
* NATO Medal for service with ISAF

## Effective dates of promotion

| Rank | Date |
| General | 12 July 2016 |
| Lieutenant general | 19 December 2014 |
| Major general | 2 August 2013 |
| Brigadier general | 2 November 2009 |
| Colonel | 1 August 2004 |
| Lieutenant colonel | 1 May 2000 |
| Major | 1 September 1997 |
| Captain | 28 May 1990 |
| First lieutenant | 28 May 1988 |
| Second lieutenant | 28 May 1986 |