COLONEL FRANK J. SHOAF Colonel Frank J. Shoaf is the commander, 171st Mission Support Group (MSG), 171st Air Refueling Wing, Pittsburgh International Airport, Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. As commander, he oversees the Logistics Readiness Squadron, Force Support Squadron, Civil Engineering Squadron, Security Forces Squadron, Communications Flight, and the office of contracting. The 171st MSG also provides operational support to maintain and sustain base infrastructure.Col. Shoaf enlisted in the United States Air Force (USAF) in January 2000 and was assigned as a C-17 crew chief. He attended the USAF’s officer training school commissioning in April 2002, and upon completion of initial Space training and intercontinental ballistic missile qualification training was assigned as a deputy missile combat crew commander. In 2004, he cross-trained into aircraft maintenance and was assigned as the assistant flight commander of an aircraft maintenance unit, deployed as an aircraft maintenance flight commander, and then served as a fabrication flight commander. He left active duty in 2006 and served with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard as a division army airspace command and control operations officer and as a brigade plans officer.In 2010, Col. Shoaf joined the Pennsylvania Air National Guard serving as a readiness and support flight commander, serving in various positions in the air operations center to include space duty officer, integrated air and missile defense officer, and strategy planner, and was commander of a Special Operations, Force Support Squadron. Prior to his current position Colonel Shoaf was the Commander for the 258th Air Traffic Control Squadron.EDUCATION1998 Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration, California University of Pennsylvania, California, Pa.2002 Space 100 and ICBM IQT (Minuteman III, REACT-A), Vandenberg Air Force Base (AFB), Calif.2003 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.2004 Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas2006 Air Mobility Command Maintenance Officer Course, Air Mobility Warfare Center, Fort Dix, N.J.2009 Leader Development Education for Sustained Peace Phase I and II, Naval Post-Graduate School, Calif.2010 Joint Firepower Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.2010 Captain’s Career Course (Squadron Officers School equivalent), Ft. Sill, Okla.2011 Air Operations Center Combat Operations Division IQT, Hurlburt Field, Fla.2012 Master of Arts in Management and Leadership, Webster University, St Louis, Mont.2012 Special Operations Forces Air Command and Control Course, State College, Pa.2013 Air Operations Center Integrated Air and Missile Defense IQT, Hurlburt Field, Fla.2014 Space 200, National Security Space Institute, Petersen AFB, Colo.2014 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence2015 Air Operations Center Strategy Division IQT, Hurlburt Field, Fla.2020 Space 300, National Security Space Institute, Petersen AFB, Colo.2020 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondenceASSIGNMENTS1. June 2000–January 2002, C-17 Crew Chief, 437th Aircraft Generation Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base (AFB), S.C. (September 2001–December 2001, Crew Chief, 725th Air Mobility Squadron, Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily ISO)2. January 2002–April 2002, Student, Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.3. April 2002–November 2002, Student, Space 100 and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Initial Qualification Training, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.4. November 2002–June 2004, Deputy Missile Combat Crew Commander, 12th Missile Squadron, MalmstromAFB, Mont.5. June 2004–November 2005, Assistant Flight Commander, 605th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, McGuire AFB,N.J. (May–July 2005, Flight Commander, 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Al Dhafra Air Base (AB), United Arab Emirates)6. November 2005–September 2006, Flight Commander, 305th Maintenance Squadron, McGuire AFB, N.J.7. July 2007–September 2010, Army Airspace Command and Control Operations Officer, 28th Infantry DivisionTactical Command Post, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Hershey, Pa. (January 2009–December 2009, Plans Officer and Shift Officer-in-Charge, 28th Combat Aviation Brigade, Contingency Operating Base Adder, Tallil AB, Iraq)8. December 2010–February 2014, Readiness & Support Flight Commander, 112th Air Operations Squadron, StateCollege Air Guard Station, State College, Pa.9. February 2014–October 2019, Strategy Planner, 193d Combat Operations Squadron, State College Air Guard Station, State College, Pa. (October 2015–January 2016, Strategy Planner, 609 Air Operations Center (AOC), Al Udeid AB, Qatar, January–July 2018, Strategy Planner, 613 AOC, Hickam AFB, Hawaii, September 2018–May 2019, Commander, 258th Air Traffic Control Squadron, Johnstown, Pa.)10. October 2019–January 2021, Commander, 193d Special Operations Force Support Squadron, Middletown, Pa.11. January 2021–March 2023, Commander, 258th Air Traffic Control Squadron, Johnstown, Pa.12. March 2023–Present, Commander, 171st Mission Support Group, Pittsburgh International Airport, Pittsburgh, Pa.MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONSMeritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clustersAir Force Commendation MedalArmy Commendation MedalAir Force Achievement Medal with two bronze oak leaf clustersJoint Meritorious Unit AwardMeritorious Unit Award with bronze oak leaf clusterAir Force Outstanding Unit Award (Valor Device) with silver oak leaf clusterIraq Campaign Medal with service starPennsylvania Commendation MedalDC National Guard Community Service RibbonEFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTIONSecond Lieutenant April 5, 2002First Lieutenant April 5, 2004Captain April 5, 2006Major June 6, 2012Lieutenant Colonel Nov. 17, 2017Colonel July 27, 2023(Current as of January 2024)