Motorcycle crash survivor retires

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jason Schaap
  • 931st ARG Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  Master Sgt. Shelby Gobel was six days short of retirement when his motorcycle collided with a deer two years ago.

He beat the 50-50 odds doctors gave him to survive but was told later that the crash had claimed his hope to retire from the Air Force Reserve. Airmen at his unit, the 931st Civil Engineer Squadron, decided that was unacceptable.

"We at the unit weren't really sure what to do," Senior Master Sgt. Sheila Croninger, the squadron's first sergeant, said. "However, just as his family and friends weren't going to give up on Shelby's recovery, we weren't going to give up on his Air Force career."

Many phone calls, e-mails and a mountain of research later, on May 2, 2008, Sergeant Gobel found himself opening a big brown envelope from Air Force Reserve Command.

"Cool," he remembered thinking as he read a letter inside. Persistence had paid off. His retirement was granted.

On Aug. 9, Sergeant Gobel suited up for his last day in the Air Force. On his way to his retirement ceremony, he looked out the car window to where he had worked as a liquid fuels engineer for his squadron. He misses military life, he said. He misses "being around the guys, the camaraderie."

"I had a lot of good friends," he said.

One look around the room at his ceremony, and Sergeant Gobel could see he still has a lot of friends at the 931st. His last supervisor, retired Senior Master Sgt. Eric Osen, said during the ceremony that he and Sergeant Gobel had been friends since the infancy of their squadron. They started working together before the 920th CES became part of the 931st Air Refueling Group in 1995.

"Above all else, Shelby was a true member of the team," Sergeant Osen said. "And those of you who know me know that is saying a lot."

Sergeant Osen described Sergeant Gobel as a deceptively "mellow guy" who also had "dogged determination."

There was the time the two were sent to a training exercise together and the liquid fuels engineers were not given a radio. Sergeant Gobel didn't think that was right and was quick to say so. Sergeant Osen agreed, gave Sergeant Gobel the okay to go plead his case, but did not expect anything to come of it.

"Well, he came back with a radio," Sergeant Osen said.

Then there were the "really plum annual tours" that Sergeant Gobel passed on when they conflicted with his children's school events and other family functions. "Shelby always worked really hard to balance work and family," Sergeant Osen said.

Sergeant Gobel's wife of 20 years, Rebecca, joined him on stage during the ceremony to accept a certificate of appreciation for her support and sacrifice. She then was given a retirement pin for Sergeant Gobel's lapel.

"Ouch," he playfully yelled as she pinned him, still the comic he was before his accident.
Later, after Sergeant Osen and others presented him with some gifts, Sergeant Gobel opened the accompanying card.

"Sergeant Gobel, you stink," he improv'd, pretending to read the card, getting lots of laughs.

"That was just off the cuff," he said, to more laughs.

Col. Edsel "Archie" Frye Jr., 931st ARG Commander, presented Sergeant Gobel the Kanza Roach Crystal given to the Group's charter members. Then it was time for Sergeant Gobel's closing remarks. He thanked his wife and his children. Then he thanked his Air Force family.

"I am very humbled by everything everyone has done for me," he said. "Many of you had a part in this special event ... This is a very exciting and happy day for me ... Thank you from the bottom of my heart."


Click here to read about Sergeant Gobel's road to recovery in a story written a year after his accident.