CDR Shawn D. Petre
Commanding Officer
Commander Shawn Petre is a native of Manchester, New Hampshire. He attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry.
After completing the Basic Supply Officer syllabus at the Navy Supply Corps School in Athens, Georgia, he reported to Naval Station Treasure Island, San Francisco, California, serving as Assistant Base Closure Officer, Port Services Officer, San Francisco and liaison between the Navy and the City of San Francisco. While at Naval Station Treasure Island, he received a lateral transition to Naval Aviation and subsequently reported for flight training.
After completing flight school and being designated a Naval Flight Officer, Commander Petre reported to the "Pro's Nest" of Patrol Squadron 30 at NAS Jacksonville, FL, for initial P-3C training. In January 2000, he joined the Fighting Tigers of Patrol Squadron Eight (VP-8) in Brunswick, Maine, where he served as Aviation Life Support Systems Officer, Readiness Officer, and NFO NATOPS Officer. With the "Fighting Tigers," he deployed to Sigonella, Italy, Souda Bay, Crete, Keflavik, Iceland, Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico and Comalapa, El Salvador. VP-8 was awarded the Battle "E" twice during his tour.
In March 2003, he reported aboard Commander, Second Fleet and Commander, Striking Fleet Atlantic staffs on USS Mounty Whitney, Norfolk, Virginia, where he served as an Information Warfare (IW) Officer and COMNAVNORTHFLT EAST Crisis Action Officer. During his tour, he focused on Fleet Information Operations and Information Warfare training, Strike Group Information Operations/Information Warfare Evaluation, and NATO Information Operations doctrine.
In September 2004, he reported to Patrol Squadron 30 as an NFO Instructor Tactical Coordinator (TACCO), Fleet Training Division Officer, Weapons Tactics Unit Assistant Officer-In-Charge, and Weapons Tactics Instructor (WTI), responsible for P-3C post-Fleet Replacement Squadron advanced individual and aircrew training programs.
In June 2006, Commander Petre was assigned to the "Wizards" of Special Projects Patrol Squadron Two (VPU-2) in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, as a department head, serving as Detachment OIC, Tactics Officer, Training/NATOPS Officer, and Operations Officer. He deployed to the CENTCOM, AFRICOM, SOUTHCOM, and PACOM AORs in support of Theater and National level tasking as well as Operations Enduring Freedom, Enduring Freedom Horn of Africa, and Iraqi Freedom. VPU-2 was awarded the Battle "E" twice during his department head tour.
After departing VPU-2 in November 2008, he was assigned to Joint Special Operations Command in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, as Special Programs Director for Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR). During his Joint tour, he augmented deployed Joint Task Forces, serving as Joint Special Operations Air Detachment Commander and ISR Director during deployments to Afghanistan and Horn of Africa.
Commander Petre's decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal (3 Strike Flight awards), Joint Service Commendation Medal (2 awards), Navy Commendation Medal (4 awards), Navy Achievement Medal (2 awards), and various other unit, service, and campaign awards.