Col. Sam Shaneyfelt, USAF (’86) Takes Command

Col. Sam Shaneyfelt, USAF (’86), right, 35th Operations Group commander, assumes command of the operations group during an official change of command ceremony at Misawa Air Base.The alumni of Thomas Aquinas College put their faith into action in myriad ways. Consider Col. Sam Shaneyfelt, USAF (’86), who on September 5 assumed command of the 35th Operations Group at Misawa Air Base in Misawa, Japan. As such, he is responsible for flight operations, airfield management, intelligence, tactical air control, combat plans, weapons and tactics, and weather support for the Air Force’s 35th Fighter Wing. Previously he served as the Operations Director for the Combined Forces Air Component Commander at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

“Thomas Aquinas College gave me a foundation which allowed me to seek truth in all things and to come by basic concepts of tactical weaponry and fighter employment more easily,” he says in this profile. “I’m also particularly thankful for obtaining a sound understanding of my faith and a closeness to the sacraments.”