Geoff Shepherd

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Air Marshal Geoffrey Shepherd AO is Chief of Air Force (CAF) of the Royal Australian Air Force, as of 4 July 2005, replacing Air Marshal Angus Houston.

[edit] Service History

Shepherd commenced his RAAF service with the 1971 RAAF Academy intake, graduating in December 1974 with a Bachelor of Science (Physics) degree from Melbourne University.

He had operational flying tours on Mirage III fighter aircraft at RMAF Butterworth, 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 flown around 4500 hours, of which 2500 hours were in the F-111.

He had staff appointments at middle rank levels 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 undertakook staff training at the Joint Services Staff College.

His command appointments were, as a Wing Commander - Commanding Officer of 6 SQN (F-111), and as a Group Captain - Officer Commanding 82 Wing (F-111).

He was promoted to Air Commodore on 1 December 1998 and served two years as the Chief of Staff at HQ Air Command. From January 2001 he was the Director General Operations at the Defence Signals Directorate until October 2002 when he became Director General Joint Operations and Plans in Strategic Operations Division.

Air Commodore Shepherd was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Australian Day 2000 Honours List.

He was promoted to Air Vice Marshal on 2 December 2003 and appointed Air Commander Australia with effect 15 December 2003.

On 23 May 2005, the Minister for Defence (Australia) announced Shepherd as being the Chief of Air Force on promotion to Air Marshal as of 4 July 2005, replacing Air Marshal Angus Houston.

He has flown around 4500 hours, of which 2500 were on the F-111.

[edit] Anecdotes

He is known throughout the RAAF for calling out "Cooee", a distinctive Australian vocalisation used mainly in the outback. (He used this distinctive Australian-ism to end his first speech as CAF.)

During his early conversion training at RAAF Base Williamtown to the Mirage III aircraft, Shepherd was a student flying with an instructor in a dual control aircraft that encountered difficulties in locking down its main landing gear for landing. On landing, one of the main wheel struts collapsed, and the aircraft departed the side of the runway heading for a hangar and the inevitable group of onlookers. The pilot got the aircraft into enough of a climb to clear the hangar, but it was not in a flying configuration. Shepherd and the instructor ejected, both parachutes opened successfully, and they landed safely. The aircraft crashed in a wooded area adjacent to the airfield.

[edit] Personal

Geoff Shepherd is married to Anne, and they have two sons. His interests include travelling and understanding other cultures, gardening and rugby league football.