PTG Biographies

Dan Caine is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Patriot Technologies Group, LLC, a California and Washington, DC based Homeland Security firm. He most recently served as the Director of Operations and then the Commander of a Joint Special Operations Air Directorate engaged in nightly combat operations in Iraq.

Prior to his most recent service overseas, he served as a Policy Director on the Homeland Security Council staff within the White House, where he was a principal author of the 2007 National Strategy for Homeland Security. Before joining the White House staff, Mr. Caine was appointed by President Bush to serve as a White House Fellow and served as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of Agriculture.

During his Fellowship he led USDA’s Hurricane Katrina lessons learned process and headed the Department's Avian Flu portfolio. A recognized tactical expert and F-16 instructor pilot, Mr. Caine was the Mission Commander over Washington, DC on the morning of September 11, 2001, led critical combat missions in Afghanistan, and was the overall coalition airborne mission commander on the first night of Operation Iraqi Freedom in Western Iraq. He was the Outstanding F-16 Fighter Weapons School graduate in 1999, and in 2004 was selected as the Claire Chennault award winner as the USAF’s outstanding aerial warfare tactician.

He has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and two Bronze Stars for service in Afghanistan and Iraq. In addition to his military service, Mr. Caine served as a leadership consultant for Fortune 500 companies, helping their leadership to plan, execute, and transform through a constant improvement process. An accomplished public speaker on leadership and service, he received a B.A. in Economics from the Virginia Military Institute and an M.A. with honors in Military Studies from the American Military University.

Steven McShea is co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Patriot Technologies Group, LLC, a Homeland Security and consulting firm. In both the U.S. Navy and Air National Guard, Mr. McShea has over 20 years experience in such aircraft as the F-14, F-16 and RC-26.

He is a decorated combat mission commander and has flown combat missions from aircraft carriers and most major air bases during the majority of U.S. conflicts over the past two decades. Prior to his role at PTG, Mr. McShea served as both Tactics and Operations Officer of a Special Operations surveillance squadron in Iraq engaged in nightly combat operations. During this deployment he led the effort to develop tactics, techniques and procedures to employ airborne surveillance platforms in a counter-insurgency environment still in use today.

Mr. McShea was awarded three Air Medals during combat operations in this theater. Immediately following the 9/11 attacks, Mr McShea was one of the first fighter pilots launched in defense of the western population centers and was co-author of the 2002 Air Defense Plan for the western U.S. As commander of a California Air National Guard airborne surveillance detachment, he led the effort to provide real-time Full Motion Video (FMV) support to law enforcement, first responders and state and national leadership.

For more than a decade in his civilian role, Mr. McShea has helped some of America’s most successful Fortune 500 companies adopt military execution principles and apply them to today’s business environment. In addition to his role at PTG, Mr. McShea serves as a principal and President of a real estate development corporation headquartered in California. He received a B.S. in Public Administration from the University of Southern California and a MBA from California State University Fresno.

Samuel “Bear” Adams joined Patriot Technologies Group (PTG) as its first Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in February 2010. As a decorated combat veteran, he brings over 21 years of distinguished military service along with his recent technical program management skills to PTG. Mr. Adams’ distinguished military and civilian career has focused on advanced aviation systems, tactics, training, and operations.

Mr. Adams began his active duty Air Force career with the 335th Fighter Squadron as a F-4E Weapon Systems Officer (WSO). He was selected to transition early to the F-15E Strike Eagle and deployed with the 334th Fighter Squadron (“Once an Eagle”) to employ that weapon system during combat operations in both Desert Storm and Operation Southern Watch where he earned two Aerial Achievement Medals and an Air Medal. During his next assignment Samuel was hand-picked to represent the U.S. Air Force as the first Instructor WSO to train Royal Saudi Air Force aircrews in the $9 Billion, F-15S Peace Sun IX Foreign Military Sales Aircraft. His next assignment was with the elite 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron where served as an Operational Test and Evaluation Project Officer for numerous time critical tests to include the first ever Dual Launch, Dual Guide weapons delivery of the GBU-15.

Mr. Adams earned his first Meritorious Service Medal as the F-15E Project Officer for the development of the Air Combat Command (ACC), Director of Aerospace Operations’ Briefing Room Interactive (BRI) Program – a computer-based planning, training, and operations system that integrated the diverse actions required to successfully train and operate a fighter squadron. Samuel also provided combat aircrews timely and cutting-edge weapons training as the Quality Assurance Evaluator for the $11.5 Million, ACC Aircrew Training and Courseware Development Contract.

Transitioning to the California Air National Guard in 2001, Mr. Adams soon became the Chief of Operations (COO) for an aviation unit tasked with supporting America’s war on drugs using high-tech surveillance. As a well-respected instructor and evaluator, Samuel was instrumental in the development of leading-edge aerial surveillance systems and tactics required to provide services to several Federal Law Enforcement Agencies, including divisions of DHS and DOD. He supported front-line law enforcement investigations daily.

After retirement, Mr. Adams began working for Alliant Techsystems, Inc. (ATK) where he most recently served as a Program Manager and Test Director for the $950 Million, Secretary of Defense’s Project Liberty Program. Samuel also served as the Program Manager and Project Engineer for the Air National Guard’s RC-26 and UC-26 Upgrade Programs. Mr. Adams earned a BS in Mathematics from Liberty University and an MS in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Mike Wirstrom is a sensor operator, instructor and tactician at Patriot Technologies Group, LLC, a California and Washington, DC based Homeland Security firm. He most recently served as the Commander of a Special Operations Aviation unit engaged in nightly combat operations in Iraq. Prior to his most recent service overseas, he served as the Operations Officer for an Air National Guard aviation unit tasked with supporting America’s war on drugs. He continues to support law enforcement throughout the southwest border region by providing real-time full motion video to counternarcotics task forces.

Mr. Wirstrom has been instrumental in the development of leading-edge aerial surveillance tactics in support several divisions of the Department of Homeland Security. Prior to this assignment Mr. Wirstrom served in the active duty Air Force as an instructor Navigator in three different versions of the C-130 Hercules including the MC-130 Combat Talon II, MC-130N/P Combat Shadow and the HC-130 King aircraft. A recognized tactical expert in the employment of airpower in support of ground forces, Mr. Wirstrom flew critical combat missions in during Operation Allied Force, and Operation Desert Storm. During Desert Storm, Wirstrom was the lead navigator during a mission to rescue a Special Forces unit stranded deep in Iraq and was awarded the Air Medal for his pivotal role in that rescue.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Wirstrom served as an enlisted airman and citizen-soldier in the Louisiana Air National Guard where he loaded weapons on F-4 and F-15 fighter aircraft. While serving as a traditional member of the Air National Guard, Mr. Wirstrom was employed as an Options Trading Principal, Technical Marketing Analyst, and head of research for BF Andersons Securities. In addition to his civilian and military service, Wirstrom is a committed volunteer and spends much of his free time serving in leadership roles in the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts of America. A decorated combat veteran, Mr. Wirstrom has earned two Meritorious Service Medals and five Air Medals during his time in service. Mr. Wirstrom earned a BS in Economics from Louisiana State University and an MA in Finance from Webster University. He still serves as RC-26 Special Operations Sensor Operator in the Air National Guard.

Kathryn E. (Katie) Boots joined Patriot Technologies Group (PTG) as Director of Business Operations in February 2010. Prior to joining PTG Ms. Boots served as a Presidential appointee at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from 2002-2009. During her tenure at USDA she served as a Congressional Liaison in the Office of Congressional Relations, Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, Special Assistant in the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and as an Advisor to the Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs.

In 2006 Ms. Boots was hand-selected to serve as the key coordinator for the Secretary’s Avian Influenza Joint Working Group. This group was charged with coordinating, integrating, and synchronizing USDA’s response to H5N1.

Prior to her service at USDA, Ms. Boots served on Capitol Hill as a staff member for U.S. Senator Richard G. Lugar (IN), Chairman and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee from 1996-2002. Ms. Boots received a BA in Sociology from Hanover College in Indiana.