Candidate for
Council Member; City of California City

Kevin Schafer was born in 1957, in Williamston, MI., and graduated from Williamston High School in 1975. He earned a Bachelor of Science in technology education from Southwest Texas State University at San Marcos in 1984, graduated Squadron Officer School in 1988, completed a Masters Degree in Aeronautical Science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at Daytona Beach in 1994, Aircraft Accident Investigation in 1995, graduated from Air Command and Staff College in 1997, and Jet Engine Mishap Investigation in 1998.

Professional accomplishments include:

- Daily working relationships at the management and executive level of the Federal Aviation Administration Air Route Traffic Control Centers, airport directors, and airfield managers. Between 1988 and 1991 I was directly responsible for the design and implementation of eight instrument approaches at three regional/international airports.

- Handpicked in 1995 to deploy to McMurdo, Antarctica in support of Operation DEEP FREEZE. I identified and fixed hazardous flaws in critical instrument approaches to ice runways. Commended by The National Science Foundation and 15th Air Force for my flight safety improvements to the U.S. Antarctic Program.

- Keynote speaker nationally in 1998 and 1999 at the National Aerospace Foreign Object Damage Conference and National Guard Bureau, Washington D.C., on aircraft safety

- Director of Operations, Operation SOUTHERN WATCH 1999. I orchestrated the daily management of base infrastructure functions, personnel and flying issues, while hosting USCENTCOM Commanders and State Department dignitaries seeking resolution of war issues, all critical to enforcing the UN mandated Iraqi no-fly zone.

- Executive-level council to the Commander 21st AF, on flight safety oversight issues for fifty-five subordinate units and 61,000 personnel from 1999 to 2002. I managed and directed command safety personnel in the intricacies of aircraft accident investigations throughout the 21st AF Theater of command, from the Mississippi River to the Indian Ocean.

- Selected in Oct 2000, to fly the Assistant to the President of the United States, State Department and the White House Advance team to Hong Kong, Brunei, and Viet Nam in preparation for the Presidential Diplomatic Mission and Asian Economic Conference.

- In Aug 2002, I once again was selected to fly the Assistant to the President of the United States, and House Energy/Commerce Committee to Hanoi Viet Nam, Bangkok Thailand, and Singapore on a sensitive Trade Diplomatic mission. As Mission Commander, I was directly responsible for the timely execution, of both trips, despite a myriad of last minute diplomatic changes, resulting in continuous flexibility, patience and thinking out of the box to effect mission accomplishment at the highest level of sensitivity. I retired from the USAF in September 2002.

- Presently, Kevin is an Operations Engineer with JT3, assigned to the F/A-22 Combined Test Force, Edwards AFB, CA. responsible for Flight Test Envelope Expansion. He has served youth in communities throughout the country as a Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, and Sunday school teacher. He is an Eagle Scout. He is married to the former Merrie Kae Willman of Gilbert, Arizona. They have six children, Lex (22), Aleyna (19), Morgan (16), Kevin (14), Merrin (11), and Azrielle (6).