About

Shannon McGurk is a retired U.S. Army Ground Cavalry China Foreign Area Officer. While on active duty, he commanded at the Troop level and served as an Executive Officer at the Squadron level. He served on the Joint Staff and Army Staff, as the Defense Intelligence Agency China Desk Officer, an Army China Desk Officer, and as an Assistant Army Attache at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China. Upon retirement as a Lieutenant Colonel, Shannon worked in the inter-agency Intelligence and Operations communities for Northrop Grumman, TASC, ManTech, Abraxas and General Dynamics, in IBM corporate sales and on the Air Staff as an Air Force Civilian. After serving in Afghanistan as a contractor with U.S. Joint and NATO Coalitions Special Forces, he worked for Booz Allen Hamilton on the Air Staff (A3/5/7) for the Air Force Warrior Integration Capability (AFWIC)/Skunk Works as an Air Strategist and China Futurist. Shannon is currently working with the III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) in Okinawa, Japan. He is a happily married father of 12 and grandfather of four; his wife and youger children live on a farm in Virginia.