Colonel Shawn V. Young is the Commander of the 1st Special Operations Group (1 SOG) located at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The 1 SOG plans and executes infiltration, re-supply, air refueling, kinetic strike, precision fire support, and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance missions employing 73 fixed-wing, remotely piloted and tilt rotor aircraft including the AC130J, MC-130H, CV-22B, MQ-9, PC-12, and U-28A aircraft. Additionally, the 1 SOG provides USSOCOM with focused and timely combat weather and intelligence processing, exploitation and dissemination capabilities. The 1 SOG consists of 10 special operations squadrons with nearly 1,700 Air Commandos from 80 different Air Force Specialty Codes. The 1 SOG provides full spectrum specialized airpower to combatant commanders executing special operations missions to include direct action, high-value target, unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance, counterterrorism, personnel recovery and psychological operations.
Colonel Young received both a Bachelor and Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas in 1995 and 1998, respectively. She then earned her Air Force commission at Officer Training School in 1999. Colonel Young attended pilot training at Naval Air Stations Whiting Field, Florida, and Corpus Christi, Texas, and served in various operational and instructor flying assignments in multiple Major Commands. Following a Headquarters Air Force tour as the Chief of Washington D.C. Rated and Joint Colonel Assignments, she took command of the 27th Special Operations Air Operations Squadron, Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. Her most recent assignment was as a student at Air War College.
Colonel Young has served in multiple combat deployments as a pilot and mission commander in support of Operations ENDURING and IRAQI FREEDOM, Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, the Horn of Africa, and other small-scale contingency operations. She most recently deployed as the Director of Operations, Joint Special Operations Air Component - Central.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
1998 Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
2008 Marine Corps Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2012 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
2012 Master of Military Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College
2021 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
2021 Master of Strategic Studies Degree with Grand Strategy Concentration
ASSIGNMENTS
April 1999 – June 2000, Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, NAS Whiting Field, FL
June 2000 – September 2001, Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, NAS Corpus Christi, TX
September 2001 – December 2004, C-130H Pilot and Aircraft Commander, Dyess AFB, TX
December 2004 – June 2006, T-6A Instructor and Assistant Operations Officer, Training Squadron Ten, NAS Pensacola, FL
June 2006 – October 2008, T-6A Instructor and Evaluator Pilot, Standards and Evaluations Flight Examiner, and Instrument Navigation Stage Manager for the Chief of Naval Air Training, Training Wing Six, NAS Pensacola, FL
October 2008 – July 2010, AC-130U Pilot and Aircraft Commander, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief of Resources, 4th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL
July 2010 – August 2011, AC-130U Aircraft Commander and Wing Executive Officer, 27th Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, FL (February 2011 – June 2011, Commander, 4th Expeditionary Special Operations Squadron, Balad AB, Iraq)
August 2011 – June 2012, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL June 2012 – July 2014, Chief, Washington D.C. Rated and Joint Colonels Assignments, Headquarters Air Force, Washington, D.C.
July 2014 – July 2015, Operations Officer, 27th Special Operations Air Operations Squadron, Cannon AFB, NM
July 2015 – July 2017, Commander, 27th Special Operations Air Operations Squadron, Cannon AFB, NM (November 2016 – April 2017, Director of Operations, Joint Special Operations Air Component – Central, Al Udeid AB, Qatar)
July 2017 – July 2018, Inspector General, 27th Special Operations Wing, Cannon AFB, NM
July 2018 – May 2019, Director of Staff, Department of Airpower, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL
May 2019 – July 2020, Associate Dean of Educational Support, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL
July 2020 – May 2021, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL
May 2021 – Present – Commander, 1st Special Operations Group, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Florida
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 2,600 hours
Aircraft Flown: T-34, TC-12, C-130H, T-6A, AC-130U, MQ-9A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Navy Commendation Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1995 Summa Cum Laude, Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
2000 Distinguished Graduate, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training
2005 Top Third, Squadron Officer School
2007 Association of Naval Aviators Instructor Pilot of the Year
2012 Top Graduate, Air Command and Staff College 2012 Commandant’s Academic Award, Air Command and Staff College
2021 Academic Excellence Award, Air War College
2021 Highest Academic Distinction, Air War College
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant 9 April 1999
First Lieutenant 9 April 2001
Captain 9 April 2003
Major 1 October 2008
Lieutenant Colonel 1 April 2014
Colonel 1 May 2020