O'Shaughnessy was born in North Bay, Ontario, Canada,[4][5] the son of Terrence O'Shaughnessy, an orthodontist who was originally from Cobalt, Ontario. The family relocated to Framingham, Massachusetts in 1968.[6] 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.[2]
O'Shaughnessy is a command pilot with more than 3,000 hours in the F-16 Fighting Falcon, including 168 combat hours.[2]
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 Starlinkmegaconstellation.[7] O’Shaughnessy has reportedly had a high-level role at SpaceX's Starshield defense satellite constellation.[8]
According to General Guillot, O'Shaughnessy proposed the SHIELD missile defense system, which stands for Strategic Homeland Integrated Ecosystem for Layered Defense.[9]
Post-military career
Since 2021, O'Shaughnessy is employed by SpaceX[10] where he leads government programs.
2013 Joint Force Maritime Component Commander Course, Newport, Rhode Island.[2]
2015 National Defense University PINNACLE Course, Suffolk, Va.[2]
Assignments
O'Shaughnessy (left) speaks at the Department of Homeland Security in October 2018
1. June 1986 – September 1987, student, undergraduate pilot training, Sheppard AFB, Texas[2]
2. September 1987 – August 1988, student, T-38 lead-in fighter training and F-16 training, Holloman AFB, N.M., and Luke AFB, Ariz.[2]
3. August 1988 – December 1991, F-16 aircraft commander and instructor pilot, Shaw AFB, S.C.[2]
4. January 1992 – June 1992, student, F-16 Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.[2]
5. July 1992 – July 1993, weapons officer and flight commander, 35th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan AB, South Korea[2]
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.[2]
7. July 1997 – June 1998, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.[2]
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.[2]
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.[2]
10. June 2000 – April 2001, operations officer, 555th Fighter Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy[2]
11. April 2001 – July 2002, Commander, 510th Fighter Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy[2]
12. August 2002 – June 2003, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.[2]
13. June 2003 – August 2004, Chief, Joint Plans and Operations, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Mons, Belgium[2]
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[2]
15. July 2005 – December 2006, Commander, 57th Adversary Tactics Group, Nellis AFB, Nev.[2]
16. January 2007 – August 2008, Commander, 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa AB, Japan[2]
17. September 2008 – August 2009, Commander, 613th Air and Space Operations Center, Hickam AFB, Hawaii[2]
18. August 2009 – July 2010, Vice Commander, 13th Air Force, Hickam AFB, Hawaii[2]
19. July 2010 – April 2012, Commander, 57th Wing, Nellis AFB, Nev.[2]
20. April 2012 – August 2013, Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs for Asia, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.[2]
21. August 2013 – October 2014 – Director for Operations, Headquarters, United States Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii[2]
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[2]
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[2][3]
24. May 2018 – August 2020, Commander, USNORTHCOM; Commander, NORAD[3]
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