|
 Shane Osborn was born in South Dakota in 1974 and
raised in Norfolk, Nebraska, by his single
mother, Diana Osborn. Diana worked as a nurse at
the veteran's home where Shane was exposed at a
very young age to men who had sacrificed for
their country, leaving a lasting impression of
the importance of service above self.
From the age of three, Shane dreamed of being a
pilot. He began learning the skills he would
need to fly as a member of the Civil Air Patrol,
an auxiliary branch of the U.S. Air Force, when
he was just twelve years old.
In 1992, Shane attended the University of
Nebraska on a Naval ROTC scholarship. He
received his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics
and Statistics, with an emphasis in Actuarial
Science, in 1996.
Osborn was assigned to the "World Watchers"
Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One. He flew
surveillance missions over Iraq, Iran,
Afghanistan, South America, and in the Asian
Pacific.
On April 1, 2001, all of Shane's flying skills
were put to the test when a Chinese F-8 II
fighter jet collided with his EP-3E ARIES II
plane in international airspace. The impact
severely damaged Osborn's aircraft, knocking the
huge EP-3 Aries II plane out of control causing
his large 4 engine aircraft to lose over 8000
feet in an inverted dive.
With almost certain disaster looming, Osborn
managed to gain control of the crippled plane
and land it safely on the Chinese island of
Hainan, saving the lives of his twenty-three
crewmates. Shane and his crew were held for 11
days by Chinese authorities, heightening
tensions between the U.S. and China. Following
the negotiated release of Shane and his crew,
Shane was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
for heroism and extraordinary achievement in
flight.
In 2003, Shane married his wife Teri. They have
a son Avery, and two daughters, Isabella and
Addison. On May 1, 2005, Shane resigned his
commission after nine years of active duty and
returned to Nebraska with his wife and children.
In September of 2005, Shane Osborn entered the
race to be Nebraska's next State Treasurer. He
was elected in November of 2006 and was sworn
into office on January 4th, 2007.
Shane also spends time motivational speaking and
fund raising for various charities and other
non-profit associations. |
