Colonel Dr. Mark E. Shepherd Jr.

Col. Mark Shepherd Jr. is the Commander, 302nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron, Peterson Space Force Base, Colo. He is responsible for overseeing the health and readiness of over 1,300 Air Force reservists while ensuring the unit is prepared to rapidly deploy, build, and sustain forward based enroute patient staging including critical care worldwide. He provides wartime capabilities for the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility as an integral link of patient movement in the Global Aeromedical Evacuation System.

The colonel’s military career began in September 2005 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. He completed the Flight Surgeon Primary Course at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, in 2006. As a flight surgeon, he supported several flying squadrons and flew over 200 casualty evacuation and MEDEVAC missions treating hundreds of wounded military and civilian personnel in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. He was later stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, where he completed his Emergency Medicine Residency. While stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, he returned to Afghanistan and Qatar as a board-certified emergency medicine physician and Critical Care Air Transport Team leader before leading the base’s mobile field surgical team in Southwest Asia. He has also served on two presidential details.

Col. Shepherd works as an emergency medicine physician in Alaska starting 2011 where he provides care to the Anchorage population. He completed his active-duty service as the Medical Director of Emergency Services, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. He then joined the 302 ASTS, Peterson SFB, Colo., in 2017 as a residency-trained flight surgeon and the only senior flight surgeon on staff. As CCATT Flight Commander, he ensured the medical readiness of 302nd Airlift Wing and served the squadron abroad in the Philippines. Prior to his current position, the colonel was an Individual Mobilization Augmentee for the 10th Medical Group, Healthcare Operations Squadron, United States Air Force Academy, Colo. where he was tasked with supporting the medical group and cadet services to ensure wartime medical readiness while optimizing the health and wellness of current and future air and space leaders.

EDUCATION
1993 Emergency Medical Technician Certification, Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, Ohio
1998 Bachelor of Arts, Biology and Psychology/Minor: Chemistry, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado
2002 Masters of Public Health, St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada, West Indies
2004 Doctorate of Medicine and Surgery, St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada, West Indies
2005 Internship in Family and Community Medicine, University of California San Francisco, Fresno, California
2006 Flight Surgeon Aeronautical Rating, Aerospace Medicine Primary Course, Brooks AFB, Texas
2010 Tactical Emergency Medical Technician Certification, Dayton, Ohio
2011 Integrated Residency in Emergency Medicine, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio
2013 Senior Flight Surgeon Aeronautical Rating, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
2014 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell, AFB, Ala., by correspondence

ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 2005 - September 2008, Flight Surgeon, 99th Aeromedical Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2. October 2008 - October 2011, Emergency Medicine Resident, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
3. October 2011 - May 2016, Emergency Medicine Physician, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
4. June 2016 - April 2017, Medical Director-Emergency Services, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
5. April 2017 - March 2021, Residency Trained Flight Surgeon, Peterson AFB, Colo.
6. April 2021 - May 2023, CCATT Flight Commander and Team Physician, Peterson SFB, Colo.
7. May 2023 – March 2024, IMA, Emergency Medicine Physician and Senior Flight Surgeon, USAFA, Colo.
8. March 2024-Current, Commander, 302 ASTS, Peterson SFB, Colo.

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Senior Flight Surgeon
Total: More than 450 hours including more than 355 Combat Hours/197 Sorties and more than 22 Combat Support Hours.
Aircraft Flown: C5, C12R, C17, C23, C130E, C130J, C130H, F15D, F16D, HH60G, OH58, and UH60A

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal
Army Combat Action Badge
Air Force Achievement Medal
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Combat Readiness Medal

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2005 Henry “Hap” Arnold Leadership Award Winner and Honor Flight Member, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2006 Deployed Group Company Grade Officer of the Month, Joint Base Balad, Iraq

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
American College of Emergency Physicians 2008-2018
American Academy of Emergency Physicians-Fellow-2008-Current

(Current as of April 2024)