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The Thomas N. Barnes Crew Chief of the Year award recognizes the top crew chief in the entire U.S. Air Force among the thousands of individuals working across dozens of aircraft platforms. This year, the 49th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron’s own U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Shaun Shaffer earned the prestigious Crew Chief of the Year award for his outstanding dedication to his craft and ability to keep Holloman’s MQ-9 Reaper fleet in the air.
“Sergeant Shaffer’s knowledge and ability to multitask was essential to selecting him for his award,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Julius Castillo, 49th AMXS production superintendent. “His abilities to lead teams, troubleshoot aircraft deficiencies and manage resources have proven vital to our squadron’s success.
Before he joined the service, Shaffer knew he wanted to do something more with his life, so he set his focus on the Air Force. While he was in the process of enlisting, his recruiter spoke highly of the crew chief career field, which inspired Shaffer to put it at the top of his job dream sheet and the rest is history.
Shaffer has called Holloman home for his six years in the Air Force, but he has also deployed to other countries such as Greece, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. However, being able to work on the aircraft and travel isn’t what makes him love his job.
“My favorite part of the job is the Airmen I get to work with,” said Shaffer. “Although it’s rewarding to work on the aircraft and troubleshoot an issue with it, the Airmen as a whole make this job worth it.” It’s not just Shaffer who feels that way
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Asher Downen, a crew chief for the 49th AMXS, expressed that Shaffer is very approachable, especially as one of his supervisors and greatly appreciates the time he takes to help him and other Airmen out. Downen also said that he was happy it was Shaffer who won the award, as he thinks he deserved it.
It wasn’t just Downen who expressed his gratitude for Shaffer winning. “It feels great when someone from the squadron is recognized for the hard work they demonstrate daily,” said Castillo.
“Sgt. Shaffer winning the award has inspired his Airmen by showing them what kind of individual is leading and training them for their future roles in the Air Force.”
Shaffer isn’t content even after earning Air Force-level recognition and continues to strive for constant improvement in himself and train world-class Airmen. “I still want to improve upon my supervisory role, but also my knowledge about other shops,” said Shaffer.
“I know a lot about my role as a crew chief, but when it comes to avionics and weapons, I only know the basic knowledge of what they do. I plan to learn more about other career fields we work hand-in-hand with to train those in my shop.”
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