Colonel Mary J. Shanks was commissioned an Ordnance Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School Class BIOCC 4-80 in 1980. Her first duty assignment was as a Communication and Electronic Platoon Leader, Charlie Company, 124th Maintenance Battalion, 2nd Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas. | Her subsequent duty assignments include: Platoon Leader, Shop Officer, Battalion Adjutant, and Armament Combat Vehicle Officer, 124th Maintenance Battalion, 2nd Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas; Mechanical Maintenance Officer, 227th Maintenance Battalion, Yong San, Korea; Commander, 595th Maintenance Company, Sung Nam, Korea; Logistics Staff Officer, Procurement Production Officer, Readiness Directorate, Headquarters, Army Materiel Command, Alexandria, Virginia; Recorder, Department of the Army Selections Boards, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Alexandria, Virginia; Commodity Manager, Executive Officer, and Commander, 201st Materiel Management Center, Livorno, Italy;  Executive Officer, 16th Ordnance Battalion, 61st Ordnance Brigade, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; Executive Officer, 61st Ordnance Brigade, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; Commander, 19th Maintenance Battalion, Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army for Defense Reform, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C.; and Commandant and Army Element Commander, Headquarters, United States European Command, Stuttgart, Germany. | Her civilian education includes a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Bethune-Cookman College, Daytona Beach, Florida; Master of Science Degree in Education from the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Master of Arts Degree in Public Administration from Bowie State University in Maryland; and a Master of Science Degree in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C. | Her military awards include: Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer’s Professional Development Ribbon with the 2 numerical device, Overseas Service Ribbon with the 3 numerical device, and the Parachutist Badge. | Colonel Shanks also served as Director, Medical Holdover and Community Based Health Care Operations within the Continental United States Army, Headquarters, First United States Army.