Geoffrey David Shepherd | |
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Air Marshal Shepherd on board the USS Kitty Hawk
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Nickname(s) | Shep |
Born |
Brisbane, Queensland |
24 January 1952
Allegiance | Australia |
Service/branch | Royal Australian Air Force |
Years of service | 1971–2008 |
Rank | Air Marshal |
Commands held |
Chief of Air Force (2005–08) RAAF Air Command (2003–05) No. 82 Wing (1995–98) No. 6 Squadron (1991–93) |
Awards |
Officer of the Order of Australia Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States) Meritorious Service Medal (Singapore) Commander of the National Order of Merit (France) |
Air Marshal Geoffrey David Shepherd AO (born 24 January 1952) is a retired senior officer in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), who served as Chief of Air Force from 2005 until 2008.
Shepherd commenced his RAAF service with the 1971 RAAF Academy intake, graduating in December 1974 with a Bachelor of Science (Physics) degree from the University of Melbourne followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Military Aviation.
He had operational flying tours on Mirage III fighter aircraft at RAAF Base Butterworth in Malaysia, the F-111 strike bomber at RAAF Base Amberley, both as a line pilot and as the Training Flight Commander and as a flying instructor at No 1 Flying Training School RAAF Base Point Cook. He has approximately 4500 flying hours, including 2500 hours in the F-111.
He has held staff appointments at 82 Wing (F-111) HQ, as the Assistant Defence Adviser at the Australian High Commission in Singapore, and in Force Development in the field of capability analysis. He also undertook staff training at the Joint Services Staff College.
His command appointments were Commanding Officer of No. 6 Squadron(F-111), in the rank of wing commander, and Officer Commanding No. 82 Wing (F-111) as a group captain.
He was promoted to air commodore on 1 December 1998 and served two years as the Chief of Staff at HQ Air Command. He was the Director General Operations at the Defence Signals Directorate from January 2001 until October 2002, when he moved on to become Director-General Joint Operations and Plans in Strategic Operations Division.