Army Pfc. Derek Sheppeard

[MORTARDUDE]

http://www.gomemphis.com/mca/america...834334,00.html


Army Pfc. Derek Sheppeard
By Maria Bibbs
bibbs@gomemphis.com
March 24, 2003

Age: 20

Hometown: Collierville

Unit: 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command

Duty: chemical defense equipment manager

Deployed: Kuwait

Derek Sheppeard, 20, had been intending to join the Army to get some stability in his life.

He finalized the paper on a day the country will never forget: Sept. 11, 2001.

"He actually joined on September 11th," said his wife, Jennifer, 19. "I didn't want him to do it at first, but I was supportive."

The Bartlett native is currently serving with the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command based in Fort Bliss, Texas. He was deployed to Kuwait on Feb. 2. On March 1, he was promoted to Private First Class.

Sheppeard now manages the chemical defense equipment room. He is indispensable in keeping his colleagues safe, said Capt. James Douglas .

"He's doing a really good job," Jennifer Sheppeard said. "He got a promotion really fast, and that shows he's doing his part."

She is now raising their 2-year-old son, Isaiah, in Collierville. The couple have another son due in June.

Sheppeard usually keeps in touch with his family through E-mail and brief phone calls during the day.

"He usually tells me how things are going over there," his wife said. "He says he wants to be here when the baby is born. I'm ready for him to come home so he can be safe."

She said their family is very proud of his efforts and regularly sends care packages. One of his most frequent requests is for 12 dozen of her grandmother's sugar cookies to share with his unit.

"He's not scared like I thought he'd be," she said. "He wants to be over there so he can come back home and all of this can be resolved. He feels good about what he's doing."

Sheppeard doesn't necessarily like all his day-to-day duties, but he's committed to remaining in the military when he returns. He enjoys making a difference.

Jennifer Sheppeard said that in her husband's absence she feels a lot better knowing he's in an army unit that she can trust.

"He's got a very good unit," she said. "They've been really nice. They're really proof that it's an Army of one."


- Maria Bibbs: 529-5896