Airman of the Week: Staff Sgt. Robert Sheppard Published May 16, 2011 By 436th Airlift Wing DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Name/rank: Staff Sgt. Robert Sheppard Squadron: 436th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Job description: As a crew chief, my job is to service, inspect, troubleshoot, repair, launch and recover all C-5 Galaxys and Super Galaxys assigned to Dover Air Force Base, Del. I also serve as a flying crew chief. In my FCC role, my job is similar to my duties at home station but I travel on a C-5 while it performs its various missions. I am responsible for keeping the aircraft in a safe and operational condition while away from home station. I am often required to troubleshoot and repair malfunctions while at austere locations with minimal-to-no support personnel or equipment. What is your dream assignment, and why? Right here at Dover AFB. I Like the C-5, and I like the mission it performs. I have a lot of fun and take a lot of pride in playing my part in making the mission happen both in my duties at home and on the road. I work with and for a great group of people. In my travels as an FCC I have been to most of the locations where people from my carrer field usually get orders and those places are fun to visit but I always love coming home to Dover AFB. Family: My wife, Angela. Favorite movie: Total Recall Favorite food: Anything my wife makes. Other than that, I would have to say king crab legs, shrimp. Favorite book: "Pursuit of Honor" by Vince Flynn Who inspires you? My dad is someone I look up to and try to emulate. I credit him and his guidance over the years for where I am today. I have also had some awesome mentors in my carrer so far, such as Master Sgt. Lee, Tech. Sgt. Polley and Tech. Sgt. Simons. Have you been deployed? I have not been deployed yet, however, I go on temporary duty about twice a month as an FCC. My best TDY experience was landing at a location in the area of responsibility and the airplane blew a hydraulic fitting in the wing. Fortunately, I had the part I needed to fix the problem and we were able to get out of there with minimal delay. It felt pretty good to have that kind of direct impact on the mission. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I would like to have children and hopefully still be doing the job I love. Earning a few more stripes wouldn't be a bad thing either. Staff Sgt. Rob Sheppard has been selected for Airman of the Week because of his dedication to making the mission of Team Dover and the 436th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron successful. He has been on temporary duty 71 days so far this year in his role as a flying crew chief. During those TDY's, he has been instrumental in keeping both C-5B Galaxy and the new C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft in the air by correcting 18 ground discrepancies while away from home station. With little or no support, he has saved units from sending a maintenance recovery team. His efforts have led to the movement of 1,665,985 pounds of cargo since Jan. 1, 2011. He was also involved in a surge operation carrying the rotation of two Army brigades. His efforts helped to complete the operation five days ahead of schedule, proving the capabilities of Team Dover's new C-5M Super Galaxy. Sergeant Sheppard consistently receives positive feedback from the aircrews he works with and quality assurance. -Master Sgt. Bruce Cains Section Chief