Square D Spotlight: Senior Airman Katherine Shelton

  • Published
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  
Name and Rank: Senior Airman Katherine Shelton

Unit:   100th Operations Group

Duty Title: External Intelligence Analyst

Time in Service: 3 years

Time at Mildenhall: 2 years

Hometown: Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England

Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, bike riding, camping and gardening.

Core Value Portrayed: Service Before Self

Why is serving in the Air Force important to you?
Serving in the Air Force helps me show my gratitude to my family members who have served in the military in the past; being a part of the military gives me the ability to exercise my core values to be a positive influence for my younger siblings, as well as positively impact the lives of my family, community and country.

What accomplishment during your Air Force career are you most proud of?
In April 2014, I completed the SV-80A Survival Course on Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. This is a unique opportunity for individuals in my career field, because the course is primarily for aircrew and special operations forces. Throughout the course I learned survival and evasion for isolated situations, as well as resistance and escape techniques. Completing the course gave me the advantage of being able to better relate to aircrew so that I can provide improved intelligence products before missions and deployments. 

What are your personal and/or professional goals?
My personal and professional goals include completing my Bachelors of Science Degree in Investigative Forensics in May 2015, before pursuing my Masters of Science degree in Forensic Science at the end of my enlistment.

What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of my job is being able to know what is going on within our area of responsibility, politically and militarily. As an intelligence professional, I am constantly learning new information about many different countries and it only helps me grow as an analyst. I've had the opportunity to be a part of quite a few short notice deployments and have played an integral role in getting our people out the door to new locations.

How does the individual portray that core value?
"Senior Airman Shelton is a model Airman who routinely exemplifies all three of the Air Force core values," said 1st Lt. Madeline Goff, 100th Operations Group officer in charge of intelligence training. "However, in this specific instance I'd like to highlight her unfaltering dedication to the mission, to the unit and to the Air Force. She is a young Airman who takes on roles and responsibilities well above her rank. Her self-sought breadth of knowledge allows her the flexibility and insight to excel at her job while simultaneously going above and beyond to help those around her. Her sense of service knows no limits. Regardless of the time of day, day of the week, or her own workload, Shelton volunteers to help anyone who may be in need of a hand. She volunteers not only for TDYs that take her away from home, but also for deployments, both short notice and long duration. In sum, Shelton is an outstanding asset to the Air Force and to this unit; our effectiveness and morale are intrinsically linked to her selfless devotion to her duty and her utmost professionalism in the face of challenges."