Warfare Tactics Instructor
Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center
Lieutenant Shelby Brueske is from Granby, CO and commissioned through Officer Candidate School in 2018. She graduated from Colorado State University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Watershed Science.
Afloat, Lieutenant Brueske completed her first division officer tour aboard USS Gabrielle Giffords Gold Crew (LCS 10) as the Repair Division Officer and Assistant Chief Engineer. During this tour she completed two deployments, first to the Seventh Fleet AOR in support of PACIFIC GRIFFIN completing the first launch of the Naval Strike Missile along with various operations to support C7F and a second deployment to Seventh and Fourth Fleet AORs in support of UNITAS 2020 and counter narcotic operations. LT Brueske completed her second division officer tour aboard USS Gridley (DDG 101) as the Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer. There she made an additional deployment to the Seventh and Fifth Fleet AORs in support of various exercises with multiple countries to include United Arab Emirates and Pakistan in addition to RIMPAC 2022.
Ashore, Lieutenant Brueske is currently at SMWDC det SAWS in the WTI Management Cell with a focus on the Maritime Strike Tomahawk (MST). She wrote the first published TACMEMO on the employment of MST and has been the tip of the spear on implementing this missile in the fleet. She has also represented the U.S. in multiple NATO working groups to update doctrine for NATO Nations and Allies.
Lieutenant Brueske’s personal awards include two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals as well as multiple unit and service awards. She qualified as an ASW/SUW WTI in May of 2023.
Shaping Navy Warfighters: A Conversation with the Warfare Tactics Instructors
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM PT