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    HomeAbout UsBiographiesDisplay      Official Photo of Brig. Gen. Shannon O'Harren.EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTIONS
                
                Second Lieutenant                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                May 15, 1992First Lieutenant                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 September 07, 1994Captain                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          September 07, 1996Major                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            May 09, 2003Lieutenant Colonel                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               August 14, 2008Colonel                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          November 01, 2013Brigadier General                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                August 01, 2022Engage OnFacebook PostsYour browser is incompatible with this widget.
                        
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        Official Photo of Brig. Gen. Shannon O'Harren.Brigadier General SHANNON O’HARRENBrig. Gen. Shannon O’Harren is the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Sixteenth Air Force; Commander, Air Forces Cyber; Commander, Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber; and Commander, Service Cryptologic Component, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. The general augments the Sixteenth Air Force commander and assists in leading more than 44,000 active, Reserve and Guard personnel in executing multi-domain (air, sea, land, space and cyberspace) operations worldwide. Simultaneously, he serves the Military Deputy of the Secretary of Defense Anomalous Health Incidents Cross Functional Team where he assists the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy and the Agency Coordination lead in leading the day-to-day oversight of the team’s tasks and activities.
Brig. Gen. O’Harren earned his commission in 1992 as a graduate of the ROTC program at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado. He is a career intelligence officer and served as a National Aeronautics and Space Administration military liaison officer and aircrew member. He has since held numerous key staff positions at the unit, operational, combatant command, Joint Staff and Office of the Secretary of Defense levels. He has directed and commanded specialty joint and interagency teams and supported numerous overseas contingency operations. Prior to his current position, he served as Director, Remotely Piloted Aircraft and Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities at Headquarters Air Force, Arlington, Virginia.**EDUCATION**
1992 Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, University of Colorado, Boulder
1996 Master of Education, Organizational Development and Management, Boston University, Mass.
1997 Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2000 Master of Business Administration, Finance and Information Systems, Manhattan College, New York, N.Y.
2002 Special Operations Liaison Element Course, Joint Special Operations University, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2002 Joint Special Operations Air Component Course, Joint Special Operations University, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2002 Asia-Pacific and Middle East Orientation Courses, Joint Special Operations University, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2003 Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2004 Certificate in National Security Strategy, College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2011 Air War College, Air University, Maxwell, AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2014 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2016 Joint Combined Warfighting School, Joint Command and Staff College, Norfolk, Va., by hybrid
2020 Middle East and South Asia Political-Economic Conflict Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2020 China and The Far East Political-Economic Conflict Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2021 Transnational Issues Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2022 AI for National Security Leaders, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston
2023 Continuous Process Improvement for Executives, Institute for Defense and Business, Durham, N.C.**ASSIGNMENTS**
1. December 1992–September 1993, Student, Intelligence Operations Officer Course, 17th Training Wing, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas
2. September 1993–October 1994, Chief, Electronic Threat Analysis Branch, 7th Air Intelligence Squadron, Osan Air Base, South Korea
3. October 1994–November 1997, Chief, Intelligence Systems and Automation Support, Directorate of Intelligence, Electronics Systems Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
4. November 1997–December 1999, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies, Detachment 560, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, Manhattan College, New York, N.Y.
5. December 1999–February 2002, Reserve Augmentee and Action Officer, Pacific Air Forces Air Intelligence Squadron, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
6. February 2002–February 2004, Intelligence Applications Staff Officer, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
7. February 2004–February 2006, Chief, Intelligence Futures Branch, Headquarters AFSOC, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
8. February 2006–February 2008, Intelligence Flight Commander, 353rd Special Operations Group, Kadena AB, Japan
9. February 2008–September 2013, Deputy Chief, Command Intelligence Branch, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, Texas
10. August 2009–September 2011 (detailed), Special Projects Officer, Secretary of Defense Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Task Force, OUSD-I, Washington, D.C.
11. October 2011–September 2012 (detailed), Military Liaison Officer (Aircrew), National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
12. October 2012–March 2013 (temporary duty), Headquarters Pacific Command, Joint Innovation and Experimentation Division, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii
13. September 2013–May 2015, Reserve Assistant to the Vice Director for Intelligence, Defense Intelligence Agency, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
14. May 2015–September 2017, Director, Joint Staff J2 Joint Reserve Intelligence Support Element, Defense Intelligence Agency, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
15. September 2017–April 2018, Vice Deputy Director, Joint Staff J28, Defense Intelligence Agency, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
16. April 2018–September 2021, Director for Intelligence, J2 (Wartime), U.S. Forces Korea, Yongsan Army Garrison, Seoul, South Korea
17. September 2021–April 2023, Mobilization Assistant to the Director for Intelligence, Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
18. April 2023–June 2023, Director, RPA and Airborne ISR Capabilities, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va.
19. July 2023–present, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Sixteenth Air Force; Commander, Air Forces Cyber; Commander, Joint Forces Headquarters-Cyber; and Commander, Service Cryptologic Component, JB San Antonio-Lackland, Texas**SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS**
1. July 2002–October 2002, Director of Intelligence, Special Operations Liaison Element, Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command, Operation Enduring Freedom, Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, as a captain
2. April 2003–August 2003, Director of Intelligence, Special Operations Liaison Element, Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Al Udeid AB, Qatar, as major
3. August 2006–October 2006, Director of Operations, 451st AEG (NASA WB-57 operations), Operation Enduring Freedom, Al Udeid AB, Qatar and Kandahar AB, Afghanistan, as a major
4. October 2008–December 2008, Director of Operations, 451st AEG (NASA WB-57 operations), OEF, Al Udeid AB, Qatar and Kandahar AB, Afghanistan, as a lieutenant colonel
5. August 2009–September 2011, Special Projects Officer, Secretary of Defense Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Task Force, OUSD-I, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel
6. October 2011–May 2012, Aircrew trainee and Advanced Team Commander, 451st AEW (NASA WB-57 Operations), OEF, Kandahar AB, Afghanistan, as a lieutenant colonel
7. September 2013–May 2015, Reserve Assistant to the Vice Director for Intelligence, Defense Intelligence Agency, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel and colonel
8. May 2015–April 2018, Director, Joint Staff J2 Joint Reserve Intelligence Support Element and Deputy Director for Intelligence, National Joint Operations and Intelligence Center, National Military Command Center, Defense Intelligence Agency, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C., as a colonel
9. April 2018–September 2021, Director for Intelligence, J2 (Wartime), U.S. Forces Korea, Yongsan Army Garrison, Seoul, South Korea, as a colonel
10. October 2023–present, Military Deputy Anomalous Health Incidents Cross Functional Team, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, Washington, D.C. as a brigadier general**FLIGHT INFORMATION**
Rating:  basic parachutist
NASA Aviation Badge:  sensor equipment operator (not worn)
Aircraft:  NASA WB-57 (permanent loan to NASA from U.S. Air Force)
Flight and combat hours:  masked by NASA**MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS**
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air and Space Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korea Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with two ‘M’ devices and hourglass device
NATO Medal**PUBLICATIONS**
“Information Driven Interagency Operations in Afghanistan”, Joint Force Quarterly, National Defense University Press, October 2008
(Current as of October 2023)
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