Lieutenant Colonel Shawn D. McKelvy serves a Senior Military Faculty and Associate Professor of Law at the United States Air Force Academy. In this capacity he instructs future Air Force officers in various law courses to include Law for Air Force Officers and Modern Applications of the Law of Armed Conflict and provides other military training and mentorship, and serves as a legal advisor on various boards.

Lieutenant Colonel McKelvy attended Benedictine College in Atchison, KS, as a Presidential Scholar and was a 4-year varsity letterman and Scholar-Athlete All-American in men’s soccer. He graduated in May of 1996 with a B.A. in Business Administration. He then attended law school at Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, KS, where he earned a J.D. with Dean’s Honors in May of 1999. In October of 1999, Lieutenant Colonel McKelvy entered active duty in the Air Force as a Judge Advocate through the direct appointment program.

During over 18 years of military service, Lt Col McKelvy has served at various levels of command, to include as a legal advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and at the Combatant Command level, as Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) for a deployed wing, as Deputy SJA at the Air Force’s largest fighter wing, and as an associate professor of law at the United States Air Force Academy.

Air War College, Correspondence (2013)

Air Command and Staff College, Seminar (2008)

Squadron Officer School, In-Residence (2002)

Juris Doctor (Dean’s Honors), Washburn University School of Law (1999)

Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration, Benedictine College (1996)

Senior Military Faculty and Associate Professor, Department of Law, U.S. Air Force Academy (2017-present)

Operations Law Attorney, NORAD and USNORTHCOM, Peterson AFB, Colorado (2016-2017)

Senior Military Faculty & Associate Professor, Department of Law, U.S. Air Force Academy (2012-2016)

Deputy Director, Legal Policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness), Pentagon, Washington D.C. (2011-2012)

Deployed Staff Judge Advocate, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyz Republic (2010)

Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, 56th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, Arizona (2009-2011)

Assistant (later Associate) Professor, Department of Law, U.S. Air Force Academy (2005-2009)

Assistant Staff Judge Advocate (Chief of Military Justice and Labor Law), 96th Air Base Wing, Eglin AFB, Florida (2002-2005)

Assistant Staff Judge Advocate, Chief of Legal Assistance, Adverse Actions, and Military Justice, 375th Airlift Wing, Scott AFB, Illinois (1999-2002)

NORAD & USNORTHCOM Thomas P. Keenan, Jr. Award Nominee (AFJAGS Award for most significant contribution to IHL/LOAC in the preceding year) (2017)

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Project voted as having the greatest potential for further application and impact at U.S. Air Force Academy (2017)

56th Fighter Wing FGO of the Year (2010)

56th Fighter Wing Staff Agencies’ FGO of the Year (2010)

19th Air Force’s Kuhfeld Award Nominee (2010)

U.S. Air Force Academy, Department of Law, Outstanding Academy Educator of the Year (2009)

U.S. Air Force Academy, Department of Law, Field Grade Officer (FGO) of the Year (2008)

U.S. Air Force Academy/CC’s Kuhfeld Award Nominee (2008)

U.S. Air Force Academy/CC’s Kuhfeld Award Nominee (Most outstanding Young JAG of Year) (2007)

96th Air Base Wing, Wing Staff CGO of the Year (2004)

375th Airlift Wing CGO of the Year (2010)

375th Airlift Wing Staff Agencies Company Grade Officer (CGO) of the Year (2001)

Law of War