Via named 'Instructor of the Week' Published Nov. 4, 2015 By Staff Reports 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Via, 362nd Training Squadron instructor and native of Baltimore Md., has been in the Air Force for 10 years and is the Instructor of the Week at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, for the week of Oct. 27 through Nov. 2, 2015. Via is responsible for leading a team of five for the newly revised Fundamentals of Aircraft Maintenance Course. How he impacts the training mission: "Staff Sergeant Via is our number one rated instructor in a flight of 35 instructors," said Tech. Sgt. Daniel Dunifer, Via's supervisor. "Via helps train the newest generation of Airmen, giving them the knowledge to understand basic maintenance procedures that ensure pilots can continue to carry out the Air Force mission." Most significant accomplishments: Via completed two faculty development courses one year ahead of schedule to include the Technical Writer and Analysis Design Development Implementation and Evaluation courses, and received an outstanding rating on latest instructor evaluation. Via also revised the Aircraft Maintenance Fundamentals course which is a 24 day class responsible for teaching students the basic maintenance procedures for 19 different Aircraft throughout the Air Force. He also completed two Community College of the Air Force degrees in Instructor of Technology and Military Science, and Aviation Maintenance Technology. "My dad was in the Army and worked as a Crew Chief on Blackhawk helicopters," Via said. "With that in mind, he had the military image and tenets of professionalism instilled when he was young. This influenced my decision to join the Air Force in 2005 and brought me to assignments in England, California and Texas. Cycling has also been near and dear to my heart and I had a cycling scholarship at MSU in 2002 and later began competing professionally in 2003 and 2004."