Col. Daniel J. Shanahan has literally been all around the world during the course of his 28 years of service to the U.S. Army. Now he is settling down for his current assignment at Redstone Arsenal, as he assumes the Chief of Staff position for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command (USASMDC/ARSTRAT).
"I traveled to 40 countries in a two-year period when I was stationed in Sarajevo," Shanahan said. "I have visited queens and kings in different lands and realized what it means to leave the country and be an American on foreign soil."
While Europe has been Shanahan's favorite place to live so far, he said is excited about the prospect of "putting down some roots" in Huntsville, Ala., with the purchase of his first home. Shanahan said he plans to use the expertise he has gained in various positions ranging from an aide-de-camp to a four-star general to counterdrug specialist to brigade and battalion commander to fulfill his responsibilities at USASMDC/ARSTRAT.
Shanahan said, "I believe a host of things in my background have prepared me for the chief of staff position, including deploying into war, learning business and technical organization, providing support to the Warfighter and developing an appreciation for effectiveness."
A unique addition to Shanahan's impressive career record is his leadership of the 1st Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, during the relief efforts of three consecutive natural disasters triggered by Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 29, 2005.
"The deployment order came in early September, and we ended up at Belle Chasse Naval Air Station in the heart of New Orleans," Shanahan said. "We performed more than 4,000 rooftop recoveries and helped to provide hundreds of thousands of tons of supplies."
The brigade worked with federal, state and local agencies to assist those who had been completely devastated in the aftermath.
"Standing on the Superdome where I would later watch football games, and seeing all of those people who didn't have anything, and then transporting them to treatment facilities was pretty powerful," Shanahan said. "It made me realize that no one else could do what we were doing. The city and the military really had to come together, and I felt proud to have the opportunity to serve our great nation."
Immediately after his 30 days in New Orleans ended, another deployment order came for the brigade to aid in the relief efforts of Hurricane Rita, followed by a subsequent deployment to assist in rebuilding Pakistan after a devastating earthquake.
Shanahan says he will rely on lessons learned from these previous engagements and others to tackle any challenges that his new job may bring, both at present and in the future.
"My focus is on the Warfighter," he explained. "At SMDC, our focus needs to be on boosting support to the Army and the Warfighter regardless of our position as civilian, contractor or Soldier. The sacrifices of these individuals in defense of our country separate them from all other sectors of society."
Shanahan not only recognizes the important contributions that civilians, contractors and Soldiers make to support the Warfighter, but he said he always works to put his team first. He said he believes taking care of Soldiers and their families to be the most rewarding aspect of his career and emphasizes the significant role of his own family.
"Family sets the foundation for me, both when I was growing up and, certainly, with my wife and two boys, currently," he says. "Faith and family help to ground you."
Shanahan reiterated that while he enjoys his career choice because it provides plenty of opportunity for adventure, relationships with people are what have kept him in the Army. He said he strives to set an example for those around him by going home at the right times to be with his family and always maintaining their importance in his life.
"When your career is over and you depart the service, your family and friends are the ones who will hopefully be with you," he said.
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