1184. A Military Career Based on People, Purpose and Passion

Major General (ret) Dustin "Dusty" Shultz is a highly accomplished senior military leader, renowned for her expertise in Army Cyber, Intelligence, and Space operations both in the U.S. and Latin America. Throughout her distinguished career, she has often been hand-picked for key leadership roles supporting the Department of Defense. In these roles, Dusty has developed strategic solutions to complex challenges, drawing on her extensive experience in international collaboration to achieve equitable outcomes. After years of dedicated government service, Dusty retired (2025) from her final role as Director of Intelligence at U.S. Southern Command. Now in her own busines, she is using her expertise, abilities, and interests to collaborate strategically with organizations to address intricate challenges and shape a secure and sustainable future, with special interest in security challenges across the Americas. She holds multiple degrees in strategy and is committed to lifelong learning. Outside of her professional endeavors, she enjoys spending time with her husband, David, their two children, and five grandchildren. Her hobbies include cooking and equestrian activities.

“On one assignment an Admiral said to me, ‘You've got the skills. You are going to do this. I'm going to advocate for you, and I'm going to also hold you accountable for doing it.’ Having leaders like him has been fundamental. I do not want to receive anything because I'm entitled or special. I want to receive it because I have worked hard to get where I am and because my skills are better than my peers’.

“I laugh when I think of my first day with my first unit. It was a field artillery drill sergeant unit, and when I walked in, they literally looked at me and, although they were polite, they directly said something like, ‘Where's Dustin?’

“I am Dustin.’

“ ‘No. Where's the male, Dustin?’

‘Oh my gosh. I am the female Dustin. Here are the orders.’  And, they didn't even have female restrooms.

Later in my career, my XO’s name was Hollis. My name was Dustin. So people always deferred to the fact that we were men. And then they would be shocked when we'd show up. We responded that we're fit, we're prepared, we're capable. We're going to do our job and we're going to do it well. And then we’d do just that.

“So I went all the way from these experiences to taking a battalion to Iraq, where over one-third of the organization was females including almost all of my seniors, minus my command Sergeant Major."