Thom Shea

Director of Business Partnerships

Thom Shea recently retired from a 25 year career as a Naval Special Warfare Operator. Mr. Shea served 25 years with distinguished Valor as a Navy SEAL. During his career he served in three wars ultimately leading a Team of Navy SEALs into Afghanistan in 2009 where he earned the Silver Star, Bronze Star with Valor, Army Commendation with Valor, and his second Combat Action medal.

His final tour of duty was Senior Advisor and Senior Combat Developer for Naval Special Warfare Group One.

Thom was hand selected to serve as Officer in Charge of the famed SEAL Sniper course and held that position from 2009 to 2011. During his two-year tenure, he transformed the sniper curriculum successfully increasing graduation numbers from 60 per year to over 100, as well as increasing shooting performance test scores from 70% to 80%.

Thom served as Chairman for Research and Development on 11 separate optics and weapons boards from 2011 to present maturing, funding, and fielding five technologies. As the West Coast Subject Matter Expert in weapons and optics, he helped design an integrated laser, ballistic solver, and wind sensor greatly increasing the snipers’ lethal engagement ranges from 1200 yards to 1800 yards, as well as significantly decreasing the engagement time. He also fielded 7 newly developed night vision and scoped weapons capabilities, contributing to the overall lethality of SEAL units worldwide.

Selected by the Commanding Officer Naval Special Warfare Command to brief seven separate congressional committees regarding SEAL combat operations in Afghanistan.

Thom is a national speaker on Leadership Effectiveness and is the author (with Jessica Temble) of Unbreakable: A Navy SEAL’s Way of Life available May 2014.

Thom holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ball State University and a Master Training Specialists Certification from the Naval Special Warfare Center.

He resides in Greenville, SC with his wife and their three children.