Geoff Shepherd
January 24, 1952 (1952-01-24) (age 56)
Air Marshal G.D. Shepherd, AO
Nickname	Shep
Place of birth	Brisbane, Queensland
Allegiance	Commonwealth of Australia
Service/branch	Royal Australian Air Force
Years of service	1971 - Present
Rank	Air Marshal
Commands held	No. 6 Squadron RAAF No. 82 Wing RAAF RAAF Air Command Royal Australian Air Force
Awards	Officer Of The Order Of Australia Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States) Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera) (Singapore)

Air Marshal Geoffrey David Shepherd AO (born 24 January 1952) is a retired senior officer in the Royal Australian Air Force, serving as its Chief from 2005 until 2008. is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Brisbane (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Queensland (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Ensign_of_the_Royal_Australian_Air_Force. ... The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. ... No. ... No. ... Air Command is the operational arm of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). ... The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. ... Insignia of a Companion of the Order of Australia. ... The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. ... Insignia of a Companion of the Order of Australia. ... is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. ... Air Marshal Sir Richard Williams, the first and longest-serving chief of the RAAF Chief of Air Force (CAF) is the most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Air Force, responsible to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) and the Secretary for Defence. ...

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. B.S. redirects here. ... The University of Melbourne, located in Melbourne, in Victoria, is the second oldest university in Australia (the University of Sydney is the oldest). ...

He had operational flying tours on Mirage III fighter aircraft at RAAF Base 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 approximately 4500 flying hours, including 2500 hours in the F-111. Former South African Air Force Mirage IIICZ The Dassault Mirage III is a supersonic fighter aircraft designed in France during the 1950s, and manufactured both in France and a number of other countries. ... An A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-86 Sabre, P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang fly in formation during an air show at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. ... RMAF Base Butterworth is an air force base operated by the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF). ... A U.S. Air Force F-111 The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark (the nickname was unofficial for most of its lifespan, but it was officially named Aardvark at its retirement ceremony for the United States Air Force) is a long-range strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and tactical strike aircraft. ... RAAF Base Amberley is a Royal Australian Air Force base that is located 8 km southwest of Ipswich, Queensland and 50 km southwest of Brisbane, Queensland and currently home to No. ... RAAF Williams comprises the two bases of Point Cook and Laverton. ...

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 6 SQN (F-111), in the rank of Wing Commander, and Officer Commanding 82 Wing (F-111), as a Group Captain. A Wing Commanders sleeve/shoulder insignia A Wing Commanders command flag Wing Commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. ... A Group Captains sleeve/shoulder insignia Group Captain (Gp Capt in the RAF, GPCAPT in the RNZAF and RAAF, G/C in the former RCAF) is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. ...

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. An Air Commodoress sleeve/shoulder insignia Air Commodore is the fourth most senior rank active in the Royal Air Force today, after the deactivation of Marshal of the Royal Air Force as a substantive rank in peacetime during defence cuts of the 1990s. ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... The Defence Signals Directorate (DSD) is Australias signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection agency. ...

Air Commodore Shepherd was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Australia Day 2000 Honours List.^[1] Insignia of a Companion of the Order of Australia. ... Anniversary Day redirects here. ...

He was promoted to Air Vice Marshal on 2 December 2003 and appointed Air Commander Australia (ACAUST) taking effect 15 December 2003. An Air Vice Marshals sleeve/shoulder insignia An Air Vice Marshals command flag Air Vice Marshal is the third most senior rank active in the Royal Air Force today, after the inactivation of Marshal of the Royal Air Force as a substantive rank in peacetime during defence cuts... is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Air Command is the operational arm of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 23 May 2005, the Minister for Defence announced that, upon promotion to Air Marshal (as of 4 July 2005), Shepherd would succeed Angus Houston as the Chief of Air Force (CAF). In June 2006 he was elevated to Officer of the Order of Australia (AO).^[2] is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... List of Australian Ministers for Defence (see Australian Defence Force, Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army, and Royal Australian Air Force. ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Air Chief Marshal Allan (Angus) Grant Houston, AO, AFC, is the Chief of the Australian Defence Forces as of 4 July 2005. ... Air Marshal Sir Richard Williams, the first and longest-serving chief of the RAAF Chief of Air Force (CAF) is the most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Air Force, responsible to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) and the Secretary for Defence. ...

On 4 July 2008 his 37 year career in the RAAF came to an end with his retirement. His last official function was to be the Reviewing Officer of the Officer Training School Graduation Parade, held at RAAF Base East Sale, however due to unwanted weather conditions the Parade was cancelled. He was given one final stairway guard by the young men and women of the Australian Air Force Cadets, who were on a camp at RAAF Base East Sale at the time. is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

He was succeeded as CAF by Air Marshal Mark Binskin.

Personal

Shepherd is known throughout the RAAF for calling out "Cooee", a distinctive Australian vocalisation used mainly in the outback, with which he ended his first address as Chief of Air Force.^[3] Cooee! (IPA /ku:i:/) is a shout used in the Australian Outback mainly to attract attention, find missing people, or indicate ones own location. ... For other uses, see Outback (disambiguation). ...

He attended Brisbane State High School. Brisbane State High School (BSHS) is a co-educational, state secondary school in Brisbane, Queensland. ...

He is married to Anne, with whom he has two sons. His interests include gardening, rugby league football, travelling and understanding other cultures. Rugby league football is a full-contact team sport played with a prolate spheroid-shaped ball by two teams of thirteen on a rectangular grass field. ...

Honours and awards

	Officer in the Order of Australia (AO)	(2006)[2]
	Member of the Order of Australia (AM)	(2000)[1]
	Australian Service Medal	with SE ASIA clasp
	Defence Force Service Medal with 4 clasps	35-39 years service
	Australian Defence Medal
	Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States)	18 January 2007[4]
	Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera) (Singapore)	(Meritorious Service Medal - Military) 8 May 2007[5]

Insignia of a Companion of the Order of Australia. ... The Australian Service Medal is an Australian military decoration. ... The Defence Force Service Medal (DFSM) is an Australian Military award given for long service by permanent members of the Australian Defence Force. ... The Australian Defence Medal is an Australian military decoration which recognises current and former Australian Defence Force personnel who completed an initial enlistment period, or four years service. ... File links The following pages link to this file: Legion of Merit Categories: United States government images ... The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. ... is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

References