Lieutenant Colonel Shannan L. Carter is the Commander of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Detachment 775 at the University of South Carolina. She leads a 6-member staff and over 80 cadets through all aspects of a four-year academic program culminating in the commissioning of new Air Force Second Lieutenants.

Prior to this assignment, Lieutenant Colonel Carter served as the Director of Manpower, Personnel and Services, Fifteenth Air Force, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, where she provided oversight, policy, and guidance to the Commander, Headquarters Number Air Force Staff, 14 wings and 3 direct reporting units with over 47,000 active duty, guard, reserve, and civilian personnel. Additionally, she commanded the 20th Force Support Squadron and deployed as the 378th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron Commander at Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, leading 214 joint personnel and contractors vital to high intensity combat operations during Operations ROUGH RIDER and MIDNIGHT HAMMER. Lieutenant Colonel Carter has served in various other leadership positions at the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs, Headquarters Air Force and various base levels, including other notable deployments serving as the Community Services Flight Commander at Ali Al Salem AB, Kuwait and the Director of Operations of the 455th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron at Bagram AB, Afghanistan.

Lieutenant Colonel Carter enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 2001 and was a Security Forces Controller before receiving a commission in 2009 through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Program (DET 772) at Charleston Southern University, South Carolina. Lieutenant Colonel Carter is married and has four children.

Education

• 2009 Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice, Charleston Southern University, SC.
• 2009 Air and Space Basic Course (ASBC), Maxwell AFB, AL.
• 2012 Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI), Patrick AFB, FL.
• 2014 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL.
• 2014 Master of Arts, Homeland Security, American Military University, VA.
• 2023 Master of Military Studies, Marine Corps University, Command and Staff College, VA.

Assignments

1. June 2009 – September 2012, Chief, Readiness and Plans, later, Chief, Military Personnel Section, JB Charleston, SC.
2. September 2012 – September 2015, Director, Equal Opportunity, Aviano AB, Italy.
3. September 2015 – October 2016, Flight Commander, Sustainment Services, Moody AFB, GA.
4. October 2016 – November 2017, Wing Executive Officer, Moody AFB, GA.
5. November 2017 – August 2019, Operations Officer, Moody AFB, GA.
6. August 2019 – December 2019, Chief, Manpower Policy and Integration, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
7. December 2019 – July 2021, HAF/A1M Executive Officer, Pentagon, Washington, DC.
8. July 2021 – July 2022, Team Lead, Integrated Plans, Secretary of Air Force Office of Public Affairs, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
9. July 2022 – June 2023, student, Marine Corps University, Command and Staff College, Quantico, VA.
10. June 2023 – October 2025, Commander, 20th Force Support Squadron, Shaw AFB, SC.
11. April 2025 – October 2025, Commander, 378th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron, Prince Sultan Air Base, K.S.A.
12. October 2025 – June 2026, Director of Manpower, Personnel and Services, Fifteenth Air Force, Shaw AFB, S.C.
13. June 2026 – Present, Commander, Air Force ROTC Detachment 775, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C.

Major Awards and Decorations

• Bronze Star
• Meritorious Service Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters
• Air and Space Commendation Medal with 1 “C” device and 4 oak leaf clusters
• Air and Space Achievement Medal
• Gallant Unit Citation
• Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 1 Service Star
• Iraq Campaign Medal with 1 Service Star

Effective Dates of Promotion

• Second Lieutenant — May 27, 2009
• First Lieutenant — May 27, 2011
• Captain — May 27, 2013
• Major — April 1, 2019
• Lieutenant Colonel — February 1, 2024

Current as of August 2026.