Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy is Commander, United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command. USNORTHCOM partners to conduct homeland defense, civil support and security cooperation to defend and secure the United States and its interests. NORAD conducts aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning in the defense of North America.
Gen. O'Shaughnessy is a 1986 distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has commanded at the squadron, group, wing, Numbered Air Force and major command levels, including the 57th Wing, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, the 35th Fighter Wing as Misawa Air Base, Japan, and the 613th Air and Space Operations Center, Hickam AFB, Hawaii. Gen. O’Shaughnessy has served as the U.S. Pacific Command Director of Operations responsible for joint operations in a region encompassing more than half the globe and 36 nations. Gen. 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 USPACOM and U.S. Central Command.
Prior to his current assignment, Gen. O’Shaughnessy was 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, Seventh Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Osan AB, South Korea and Commander, PACAF and Air Component Commander for USPACOM, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
Gen. O’Shaughnessy is a command pilot with more than 3,000 hours in the F-16 Fighting Falcon, including 168 combat hours.
EDUCATION
1986 Bachelor of Science, Aeronautical Engineering, Distinguished Graduate, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1992 Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base, 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 Defense College, Oberammergau, Germany
2007 Department of Defense Senior Managers Course in National Security, The 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, R.I.
2015 National Defense University PINNACLE Course, Suffolk, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1986–September 1987, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Sheppard Air Force Base, 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 Air Base, 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, Arlington, Va.
9. June 1999–June 2000, Chief, Fighter Programs, Office of Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
10. June 2000–April 2001, Operations Officer, 555th Fighter Squadron, Aviano Air Base, 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, Thirteenth 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, Arlington, Va.
21. August 2013–October 2014, Director for Operations, Headquarters, U.S. 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, Seventh Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Osan AB, South Korea
23. July 2016–May 2018, Commander, PACAF; Air Component Commander for USPACOM; and Executive Director, Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
24. May 2018–August 2020, Commander North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command
25. October 2020, retired
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2003–August 2004, Chief, Joint Plans and Operations, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Mons, Belgium, as a colonel
2. 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, as a colonel
3. April 2012–August 2013, Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs for Asia, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a brigadier and major general
4. August 2013–October 2014, Director for Operations, Headquarters, United States Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, as a major general
5. 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, Seventh Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Osan Air Base, South Korea, as a lieutenant general.
6. May 2018–August 2020, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command Colorado Springs, Colo, as a general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,000
Aircraft flown: F-16, AT/T-38 and T-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Service Medal (Air Force)
Defense Superior Service Medal with three 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
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Kosovo Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
NATO Medal
Order of National Security Gukseon Medal (Republic of Korea)
Order of National Security Merit Tongil Medal (Republic of Korea)
Order of the Rising Sun (1st Class, Grand Cordon, Japan)
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 28, 1986
First Lieutenant May 28, 1988
Captain May 28, 1990
Major Sept. 1, 1997
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2000
Colonel Aug. 1, 2004
Brigadier General Nov. 2, 2009
Major General Aug. 2, 2013
Lieutenant General Dec. 19, 2014
General July 12, 2016
(Current as of September 2020)