Wild Weasel of the Week: Staff Sgt. Donovan Kroeplin Each week a member of the 35th Fighter Wing is selected as the Wild Weasel of the Week. This individual is recognized based on superior performance, outstanding work ethic, and overall good conduct and discipline. The 35th Maintenance Squadron chose Staff Sgt. Donovan Kroeplin, a munitions inspector, to be their Wild Weasel of the Week. What is your daily mission? We inspect and maintain the serviceability of the 35 FW's munitions stockpile to ensure success of our mission. What do you enjoy about your job? I enjoy everything about my job; we have one of the most important jobs when it comes to ammunitions. We inspect hundreds of different types of munitions to ensure serviceability and functionality. It requires a lot of job knowledge, so there is never a point when you've learned everything. Why did you choose to serve in the Air Force? I thought it would be the best option for me. There was not much that interested me in my home area and I thought joining the Air Force would be a good way to gain work experience and see the world. What is your favorite thing about living in Japan? The culture and the experiences available outside the gate. Who has been your best mentor and what have they taught you? I would have to say retired Chief Master Sgt. Ricky Hamada. He was my flight chief at my first duty station and was the one who moved me to my first munitions inspection shop. He taught me not to let supervision, inspectors or any other people intimidate me and that if I know what I am doing and I'm doing it by the book, then I'm good-to-go no matter what. He also taught me to own my work by doing the job right and to the best of my ability so that myself and everyone I work with can take pride in the fact that we did it well. How long have you been stationed at Misawa? One year How long have you been in the Air Force? 11 years What goals do you want to meet while at Misawa? I would like to learn Japanese well enough to pass the Japanese language test, obtain an A+ certification, and complete my NCO Academy Course 15. What goals do you want to meet during your Air Force career? I would like to make senior master sergeant before I retire. I would also like to complete my associate and bachelor degrees. Where's your hometown? Warren, Minnesota Supervisor's comments: "Staff Sgt. Donovan Kroeplin was selected as the Wild Weasel of the Week because of his extensive job knowledge and unrivaled work ethic, the high quality of work he produces, and his ability to make the mission happen with other work centers, both inside and outside the munitions flight. He is, without exaggeration, a cornerstone to the 35 FW's munitions stockpile and I'm proud to be his supervisor." -Tech. Sgt. Thomas Barry, senior munitions inspector.