Captain Shell is a native of Kenansville, NC and was raised in North Carolina. He attended college at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington where he graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Operations Management in May 2013. 
 
Following graduation he attended Officer Candidate School (OCS) in September 2014 and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 25 November 2014. Immediately after OCS, Captain Shell attended The Basic School in Quantico, VA with Bravo Company 2-15. He was selected for the Artillery Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) and attended Field Artillery Basic Officer Leadership Course (FABOLC) from July 2015 through October 2015. At Fort Sill he completed the Joint Fires Observer (JFO) Course and Marine Artillery Officer Basic Course (MAOBC).
 
Captain Shell reported to 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines in December 2015. He served as the Guns Platoon Commander for Battery M from March 2016 through August 2016. After completing his Battery billet he moved to the Fire Support Coordination Center (FSCC) where he prepared his team for an upcoming deployment with a Victor Unit. In November 2016 Captain Shell was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Marines as a Fire Support Officer. Captain Shell and his team were attached to Suicide Charley Company and deployed to Kuwait in March 2016. Captain Shell trained with his company at Camp Buehring, Kuwait for four months before moving to Kandahar, Afghanistan to support OPERATION RESOLUTE SUPPORT. Captain Shell returned to 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines in October 2017 and finished his time with 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines as the Training Officer for the FSCC.
 
In July 2018 Captain Shell assumed his present duty of Inspector-Instructor Battery D, 2d Battalion, 14th Marines. Captain Shell took over the pre-deployment work up for a 23 Marine Detachment for Task Force Southwest 19.1 to Afghanistan. While supporting these deployed forces Captain Shell and Battery D prepared and served as the Main Effort in the FY 19 Battalion AT at Fort Hood, Texas. Battery D was selected to execute Flaming Thunder (Lithuania), WTI 2-20, and Balikatan 20 (Philippines). Captain Shell and his staff engaged and completed an aggressive operational planning cycle for each of the three exercises, supporting planning events around the globe, before being shut down due to COVID-19.