Silver Valley native takes command of Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit

Navy Commander (CDR) Gary Shelley continues to do his Silver Valley home proud by being a strong leader in our country’s armed forces.

Shelley, Born in Silverton on Feb. 24, 1970, recently took command of The Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit Oceana in Norfolk, Va.

The change of command ceremony was held on June 13 and saw Shelley replacing former CDR David Moore. Moore had held the position since Sept. 13, 2017.

Shelley’s previous assignment was Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., with the “Grim Reapers” of Strike Fighter Squadron 101 as the Maintenance Officer of the Navy’s only operational F-35C Joint Strike Fighter squadron.

It was there that he was responsible for the management, training and logistical planning for seven officers, 23 CPOs, 174 active duty and 84 contractor technicians performing aircraft maintenance and establishing programs and procedures on 14 F-35Cs.

Shelley spent his entire childhood living in the same house in Woodland Park up Burke Canyon near Wallace.

Growing up there entirely, he was also a 12-year senior when he graduated from Wallace High School in 1988 (meaning he was in the Wallace school system K-12).

While at WHS, he played football and was on the varsity golf team for three years, qualifying as an individual for state his junior and senior years.

The summer after high school graduation, Shelley was working at the Lucky Friday Mine in Mullan, but decided that he wanted “to see what else was out there.”

To do this, he chose to join the Navy.

Shelley chose the Navy because he believed that it gave him the best chance to learn technical skills and travel.

In the 30 years he has been in the service, he has done plenty of both.

Fresh out of Aviation Structural Mechanic — Safety Equipment (AME “A”) school in 1989, Shelley reported to his first assignment with the “Screwbirds” of Sea Control Squadron 33 (VS-33).

For the next 12 years, Shelley would hold several different mechanic type assignments while serving in California and Virginia; all-the-while completing several cruises to different locations around the world.

Named sailor of the year and promoted to chief in 1998 while stationed in Virginia, he accepted a commission through the Limited Duty Officer (LDO) program and began LDO school in October 2000.

Shelley would take on a multitude of assignments between 2000 and today as an officer, including several deployments to the middle-east.

In 2006, now Commander Shelley served as Assistant Maintenance Officer with the “Ragin’ Bulls” of Strike Fighter Squadron 37 where he completed one Med/Arabian Gulf cruise in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

After finishing his third tour as an officer, he transferred to the “Gladiators” of Strike Fighter Squadron 106 in February 2009.

He served as Assistant Maintenance Officer for the “Roman Empire” until April of 2010 when he was hand selected to fill a vital position on the Staff of Commander Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic (CSFWL).

Working with CSFWL as Assistant Maintenance Officer and then Readiness Officer until February 2012, he oversaw the maintenance and material management of 18 squadrons encompassing over 300 F/A-18 A-F aircraft.

Heading to the middle-east again in 2012, Shelley reported to USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN-69) where he served as Assistant Maintenance Officer and Maintenance Material Control Officer.

During this tour, he made two Med/Persian Gulf deployments in direct support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In a previous interview with the commander, Shelley said that he owes much of what he has seen and done to the military and hopes that youth from his hometown look into what the military can do for them.

“I’d like to see more kids from the Silver Valley to take advantage of what the military has to offer. There truly is no limit to how far one can go and what the military can provide in terms of money for college, leadership, training and travel.”

Shelley has family that still lives in the Silver Valley today, including his sister, Rena Connors; his younger brother, Darin Shelley (who works at the Galena but lives in Coeur d’Alene); and his other younger brother, Chad Shelley who lives in Kellogg.