TECHNICAL SERGEANT RICHARD W. FORNSHELL

Technical Sergeant Richard W. Fornshell is an Officer Accessions Instructor at Air Force ROTC Detachment 775 at the University of South Carolina. He is part of a 5-member staff guiding over 80 cadets through all aspects of a four-year academic program culminating in the commissioning of new Air Force Second Lieutenants.

Technical Sergeant Fornshell enlisted in 2011 as a Cryptologic Language Analyst and completed technical training at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA and Goodfellow AFB, TX. He has conducted Air Force Distributed Common Ground System missions and Joint Signals Intelligence operations spanning the AFRICOM, CENTCOM, EUCOM, and INDOPACOM unified combatant commands.

EDUCATION

2013 Associate of Arts in Foreign Language, Defense Language Institute, CA
2015 Airman Leadership School, Academic Achievement / Distinguished Graduate, Shaw AFB, SC
2020 Associate of Applied Science in Intelligence Studies, Community College of the Air Force
2020 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, McGhee Tyson ANGB, TN
2021 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education I via Correspondance

ASSIGNMENTS

1. November 2011 – August 2013, Student, 314th Training Squadron, Presidio of Monterey, CA
2. August 2013 – July 2015, Collection Operator, 3d Intelligence Squadron, Fort Gordon, GA
3. July 2015 – December 2015, Collection Supervisor, 3d Intelligence Squadron, Fort Gordon, GA
4. December 2015 – October 2017, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Tactics Analyst, 3d Intelligence Squadron, Fort Gordon, GA
5. October 2017 – May 2018, NCOIC, Mission Planning Cell, 3d Intelligence Squadron, Fort Gordon, GA
6. May 2018 – December 2018, Communications Intelligence Mission Supervisor, 3d Intelligence Squadron, Fort Gordon, GA
7. December 2018 – September 2021, Section Chief, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Operations, 3d Intelligence Squadron, Fort Gordon, GA
8. January 2021 – September 2021, INHERENT RESOLVE and SPARTAN ARROW Section NCOIC, Theater Support Activity, 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group, Fort Gordon, GA
9. September 2021 – October 2023, Mission Director, Joint Operations, 3d Intelligence Squadron, Fort Gordon, GA
10. October 2023 – Present, Officer Accessions Instructor, Air Force ROTC Detachment 775, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Air and Space Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Unit Award with five oak leaf clusters
Remote Combat Effects Campaign Medal with four service stars

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Airman First Class Sep. 06, 2011
Senior Airman Jul. 06, 2013
Staff Sergeant Jul. 01, 2015
Technical Sergeant Feb. 01, 2019

(Current as of October 2025)