Colonel Frank J. Shoaf is Commander, 171st Mission Support Group, 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 Squadron, and the Office of Contracting. The 171st Mission Support Group also provides operational support to maintain and sustain base infrastructure.

Col. Shoaf enlisted in the United States Air Force in January 2000 and was assigned as a C-17 aircraft Crew Chief. He attended the United States Air Force’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, Col. Shoaf cross-trained into aircraft maintenance and was assigned as Assistant Flight Commander  of an Aircraft Maintenance Unit, deployed as an aircraft maintenance Flight Commander, and then served as a Fabrication Flight Commander. Col. Shoaf left the active duty component 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 and an Air Traffic Control Squadron. Col. Shoaf has deployed in direct support of operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Freedom Sentinel and the Pacific Air Force Korea campaign.

Prior to his current position, the Colonel was the 258th Air Traffic Control Squadron Commander in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

EDUCATION

1998   Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration, California University of Pennsylvania, California, Pa.
2002   Space 100 and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Initial Qualification Training (Minuteman III, REACT-A), Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
2003   Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2004   Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2006   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 (SOS equivalent), Fort 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, Mo.
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 correspondence
2015   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 correspondence

ASSIGNMENTS

1.  June 2000–January 2002, C-17 Crew Chief, 437th Aircraft Generation Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. (Sep 2001–Dec 2001, Crew Chief, 725th Air Mobility Squadron, Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily
2.  January 2002–November 2002, Student, Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, AL, Space 100 and ICBM Initial Qualification Training, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
3.  November 2002–June 2004, Deputy Missile Combat Crew Commander, 12th Missile Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, Mont.
4.  June 2004–November 2005, Assistant Flight Commander, 605th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, McGuire AFB, N.J. (May–Jul 2005, Flight Commander, 380 Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates)
5.  November 2005–September 2006, Flight Commander, 305th Maintenance Squadron, McGuire AFB, N.J.
6.  July 2007–September 2010, Army Airspace Command and Control Operations Officer, 28th Infantry DivisionTactical Command Post, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Hershey, Pa. (Jan 2009–Dec 2009, Plans Officer and Shift Office In Charge, 28th Combat Aviation Brigade, Contingency Operating Base Adder, Tallil AB, Iraq)
7.  December 2010–February 2014, Readiness & Support Flight Commander, 112th Air Operations Squadron, State College, Pa.
8.  February 2014–Oct 2019, Strategy Planner, 193rd Combat Operations Squadron, State College, Pa. (Oct 2015–Jan 2016, Strategy Planner, 609 Air Operations Center, Al Udeid AB, Qatar, Jan-Jul 2018, Strategy Planner, 613 AOC, Hickam AFB, Hawaii, Sep 2018–May 2019, Commander, 258th Air Traffic Control Squadron, Johnstown, Pa.)
9.  Oct 2019–Jan 2021, Commander, 193rd Special Operations Force Support Squadron, Middletown, Pa.
10. Jan 2021–Mar 2023, Commander, 258th Air Traffic Control Squadron, Johnstown, Pa.
11. Mar 2023–Present, Commander, 171st Mission Support Group, Pittsburgh International Airport, Pittsburgh, Pa.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Meritorious Unit Award with bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with “V” device and a silver oak leaf cluster
Iraq Campaign Medal with service star
 

STATE AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Pennsylvania Commendation Medal
D.C. National Guard Community Service Ribbon
 

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant April 5, 2002
First Lieutenant April 5, 2004
Captain April 5, 2006
Major June 6, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel Nov 17, 2017
Colonel July 27, 2023
 

(Current as of August 2024)