Photo by ELIZABETH A. MUNDSCHENK Juanita Sheppard, Mission Crew Commander Technician. Portrait done at the #3 Mill in New York Mills on Wednesday, September 5, 2001.

By BILL FARRELL
Observer-Dispatch

ROME — Master Sergeant Juanita Shepphard, stationed in Rome with the New York National Guard, believes that the military is here to support the community and to help it wherever and whenever possible.

She doesn’t just say that, she also lives it.

When not on the job, she can be found volunteering at the Annsville Youth Camp and the Taberg Correctional Facility, something she’s been doing the last eight years.

Both are residential facilities for high-risk youths ages 14 to 18. She conducts religious studies and also counsels the youths on regaining self-esteem, respect for self and others and avoiding violence.

She’s also a key volunteer for the Rome Red Cross.

Col. Robert K. Marr Jr., Shepphard’s top boss at the Northeast Air Defense Sector, said she’s been invaluable in coordinating the collection of food for the Red Cross and directing the efforts of numerous volunteers for the Thanksgiving Basket Program, which annually feeds more than 400 families in need.

For years she taught Sunday School at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Rome and now does the same at New Bethel Baptist Church in Utica, where her husband, Erwin, is pastor.

Shepphard’s every bit as invaluable in the service of her country, said Marr, who nominated her for the Accent on Excellence award.

Her primary duty position is mission crew commander technician. She assists the commander and his crew in conducting the daily mission of the Northeast Air Defense Sector — electronically monitoring airspace in the Northeastern United States, ensuring every aircraft entering that space is properly identified.

“Her superb leadership and management skills are relied upon daily to assist the commander,” Marr said.

The 37-year-old Shepphard has been in the military 19 years, the last 15 stationed in Rome. Her experience qualifies her in four other positions, as well as the additional duty as a certified diversity trainer within the unit.

While she’s “a highly motivating role model” for everyone in the unit, her dedication goes beyond duty, Marr said. He called her commitment to community and volunteer work “unparalleled.”

For the past eight years, Shepphard has visited local nursing homes and senior citizens, some of them shut-ins. She may run errands for them, cook or clean or just sit and chat.

And in her spare time, Marr joked, she recently found time to get involved with the local rescue mission, helping with the cooking, organizing supplies and donations and raising funds.

As for Shepphard, she says it’s simply a matter of giving back. “My family was always involved in the community” in Mississippi, where she grew up. “I just see that it could be me that would be in need.”

While she’s honored to receive the award, she said she’s never thought of herself as a leader. “I just saw something that needed to be done. There’s so much to be done and the agencies can’t do it all by themselves.”