Col. Athanasia Shinas is the Commander of the 624th Regional Support Group, headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, Hawaii. The 624th RSG, with units in Hawaii and Guam, delivers mission essential capability to combatant commanders through combat readiness, quality management, peacetime deployment, and execution of six geographically separated units in the Pacific area of responsibility. The Group is the largest Air Force Reserve presence in the Pacific, providing nearly 700 combat-ready Airmen who specialize in throughput of passengers, cargo, patients, and runway repair in the Pacific and worldwide.
Col. Shinas entered the Air Force in 1997 as a graduate of Boston University. She served on active duty for 12 years before transferring to the Air Force Reserve in 2009. She is a career Logistics Readiness Officer with a background in Aircraft Maintenance and served in various positions at the squadron, schoolhouse, operational, warfare center, and joint headquarters levels. Col. Shinas deployed in support of multiple operations including SOUTHERN WATCH, IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM and supported OPERATION ODYSSEY DAWN in place at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Previously, she was the Commander for the 55th Aerial Port Squadron, 349th Mission Support Group, 349th Air Mobility Wing, Travis Air Force Base, Calif. Col. Shinas also served as a Battle Captain in the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Logistics Operations Center (J-4) in the National Military Command Center at the Pentagon where she ensured current operations and intelligence information was analyzed for logistics implications and forwarded to the Director of the Logistics Directorate for reference and action.
Prior to her current position, Col. Shinas was a National Security Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. She studied economics, negotiation, foreign policy, public narrative, and performed academic research on public support for the “Long War.”
EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology, Boston University, Boston, Mass.
2003 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2004 Advanced Logistics Readiness Officer Course, McGuire AFB, N.J.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2008 Master of Business Administration, University of Phoenix, Phoenix, Ariz.
2010 Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2010 Masters in International Relations, Webster University, Mo.
2012 Advanced Joint Professional Military Education (JPME II), Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2014 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence2014 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1997–April 1998, Assistant Officer in Charge, Readiness Flight, 20th Transportation Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
2. April 1998–July 1999, Flight Commander, Vehicle Operations Flight, 20th Transportation Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
3. July 1999–May 2000, Flight Commander, Traffic Management Office, 20th Transportation Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
4. May 2000–July 2001, OIC, Air Terminal Operations Center, 731st Mobility Squadron, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
5. July 2001–July 2002, Flight Commander, Accessories Flight, 31st Maintenance Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy
6. July 2002–May 2003, Assistant OIC, Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 31st Maintenance Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy
7. May 2003–April 2005, Flight Commander, Readiness Flight, 31st Logistics Readiness Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy
8. April 2005–October 2007, Logistics Instructor, U.S. Air Force Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officer School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
9. October 2007–June 2008, Chief, Logistics, Coalition Irregular Warfare Center, Air Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, Nev.
10. June 2008–February 2009, Executive Officer to the Commander, Air Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, Nev.
11. February 2009–July 2015, Battle Captain/Joint Logistics Operations Officer, Joint Chiefs of Staff, J-4, Pentagon, Va. (May–September 2009, Logistics Officer, Joint Center for International Security Force Assistance, Fort Leavenworth Kan.), (April–September 2011, Director of Operations, 31st Logistics Readiness Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy), (January–October 2012, Logistics Inspector, 31st Fighter Wing Inspector General, Aviano AB, Italy)
12. July 2015–May 2017, 55th Aerial Port Squadron Commander, Travis AFB, Calif. (March–August 2016, Chief, Logistics Readiness Inspections Pacific Air Forces Inspector General, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii)
13. May 2017–July 2018, National Security Fellow, John F. Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
14. July 2018–present, Commander, 624th Regional Support Group, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant July 2, 1997
First Lieutenant July 2, 1999
Captain July 2, 2001
Major April 1, 2007
Lieutenant Colonel Aug. 10, 2012
Colonel July 1, 2018
(Current as of February 2020)