Major (Ret) Thomas D. Shamburger, Jr.

Major Thomas (Dave) Shamburger is the Senior Aerospace Science Instructor for the Air Force Junior ROTC unit located at Sickles High School.

Major Shamburger completed the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Alabama and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force in May, 1979. He then entered active duty in March, 1980 as a student in Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) at Laughlin AFB in Del Rio, Texas. In February, 1981, he earned his pilot wings and went to Castle AFB, California to receive initial training in the Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker. His first operational assignment was then to Loring AFB, Maine where he served to support worldwide air refueling missions to U.S. and Allied aircraft.

During his 24 years in the Air Force he also served for 12 years as Instructor Pilot in the Cessna T-37B Tweet at Columbus AFB, Mississippi and as Instructor Pilot Trainer at Randolph AFB, in San Antonio, Texas. He also served for six months in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1991. Other assignments were at various bases in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, England, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Spain, France, Argentina, Panama and Ecuador. He retired from active duty in March, 2004 after serving as Operations Flight Commander at the Inter-American Air Forces Academy at Lackland AFB, Texas, where he taught instrument flight procedures in Spanish to Latin American pilots from Central and South America.

During his flying career, Major Shamburger accumulated over 4,400 hours of total flight time, including 3,400 hours as Pilot-in-Command and over 2,200 as Instructor Pilot.

In March, 2004 he was hired as an Air Force Junior ROTC instructor at Jonesboro High School in Atlanta, Georgia, where he taught for four years. He then moved to Sickles High School in 2008 to help open the new unit there. He is a Life Member of the Air Force Association and the Order of Daedalians and enjoys flying, golf, coin collecting, skiing and motorcycling. Major Shamburger is married to the former Dana Lieanne Taylor (30 years); they have two daughters, Katie Jo, 25 and Kelly Ann, 23.

EDUCATION:

1979 – Bachelor of Science, Business Administration/Management, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL
1996 – Master of Aerospace Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida

1978 - U. S. Army Airborne Qualification Training, Fort Benning, Georgia
1981 - USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Texas
1981 - KC-135A Initial Qualification Training, Castle AFB, California
1984 - T-37B Pilot Instructor Training, Randolph AFB, Texas
1985 - USAF Aircraft Mishap Investigation Course, Norton AFB, California
1987 - Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
1990 - KC-135R Aircraft Commander Training, Castle AFB, California
1994 - Air Command and Staff College, Randolph AFB, Texas
2001 - Spanish Qualification Course, DOD Language Institute, Presidio of Monterey, California
2002 - Dynamics of International Terrorism Course, Hurlburt AFB, Florida
2002 - USAF Advanced Instrument Flight Procedures School, Randolph AFB, Texas

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:

Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Force Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Force Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters
Presidential Unit Citation
Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with two Oak Leaf Clusters
National Defense Service Medal with one Device
Southwest Asia Service Medal with three Devices
Kuwait Liberation Medal
KC-135 Aircraft Commander Training Distinguished Graduate
U.S. Army Airborne Training Distinguished Graduate