News

Longest serving wing Reservist retires

  • Published
  • By Sandra Pishner
  • 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD FIELD, Wash. --  When her dad dropped her off for her first unit training assembly, Airman Basic Cheri Lewis had her bicycle, a sack lunch, and no idea where to go.

After 39 years, Lewis has no problem finding her way around McChord or the Air Force Reserve.

Lewis, now a senior master sergeant and the longest serving member of the 446th Airlift Wing, will retire in a ceremony Nov. 3, 2 p.m., at the 62nd Aerial Port Squadron facility.

After graduating from Franklin Pierce High School in Tacoma, Wash., Lewis entered the Air Force Reserve - that was in July 1974.

"I first came in as an aircraft electrician on C-141s," said Lewis. "I remember my very first UTA when I came back (from tech school), it was in April 1975, and my dad dropped me off on the base with my bicycle and a sack lunch. I had no idea I would get free food and somebody with a car to take me around."

After initially entering the wrong building, young Airman Lewis was directed to her work center to begin training as an aircraft electrician, only the third female in the unit. At a time when women were still new to many of the traditionally male occupations, Lewis experienced only minor pushback.

"There was one guy that just despised women in the Air Force for one thing, and women in his shop for another thing. He refused to train us. But then we started to know our job and he had to back down," said Lewis, whose father was also in the military.

Despite learning her job, Lewis left the career field in 1983 after an industrial accident at her civilian job left her unable to carry her toolbox.

"I broke my arm in 12 places after a piece of wood came flying at me. Actually, it was almost like it happened for a reason. I started working in the training office in maintenance to help them out, and then I retrained into (that career field) formally and took a Reserve training position in the aerial port," Lewis explains.

From then on, Lewis' Reserve career focused on training, first at the unit level, then the wing level.

"I was (at the aerial port unit) for a while, until I got hired on in 1986 down in maintenance training by Chief Master Sgt. Lee White," said Lewis. "And, I spent a lot of time working on orders at the headquarters at Robins (AFB, Ga.,) helping them out a bit."

"I did so many man days, I didn't even realize I was out of (civilian) work from 1981-1986," she said.

In November 1986 Lewis became an air reserve technician. She has twice been promoted through the Promotion Enhancement Program.

Lewis made the move to the wing training office (with the 446th Force Support Squadron now), in 1990, where she began cultivating a solid relationship with the Air Force Reserve headquarters training function.

"My relationship with the folks at AFRC training has really helped me get things done for the wing," said Lewis. "I can get school slots allotted to us, and even some not originally for us."

Lewis' knack for developing longstanding relationships is evident in her office, where pictures and mementos from past commanders and co-workers grace her desk and the walls. She's even still in touch with one of her instructor's from her first technical training school.

But no relationship has lasted longer than the one she has with the 446th AW - 39 years and four months.