By W.C.Pope, 439th Airlift Wing / Published March 25, 2019
Tech. Sgt. Sharon Mekal grew up and Chicopee, Mass. and she considers herself a Jill of all trades.
As a crew chief in the 439th Maintenance Squadron one of Tech. Sgt. Sharon Mekal's duties is to change old C-5 tires, which she has to remove from the rim before replacing them with new ones. To do this she uses specialized equipment to break the pressure bead on the tire to remove it safely.
Tech. Sgt. Sharon Mekal cleans the grease from the tools she used earlier on the aircraft tire bearing.
Tech. Sgt. Sharon Mekal uses a high pressure washer to clean a C-5 Tire bearing.
Tech. Sgt. Sharon Mekal, 439th Maintenance Squadron Crew Chief, is a Chicopee native. She grew up in Willamsett and later moved to James Street, two miles from Westover.
"My father was in the Army, my sister joined the active duty Air Force and my grandfather was in the Navy," said Mekal. "At 30 years-old, I questioned what I was doing with my life.”
Mekal wanted to make a change and decided to join the Air Force.
At basic training, she was the oldest Airman in her flight. While there, she had some of the best fitness scores in her flight, beating the scores of other Airmen and her Training Instructor.
Mekal has served in every aspect of Aircraft Maintenance; to include flight line, in-shop, and the Aero Shop.
"I'm a ‘Jill’ of all trades," she said.
She's been a kindergarten teacher, director of a day care facility, a lead vocalist in a band, and a facilitator for the Green Dot Program here on base.
One of the most powerful moments in her career was after fixing a C-5 maintenance problem. As a Senior Airman, she gave the green-light to an Aircraft Commander, confirming the plane was ready to fly.
“A pilot trusted and had confidence in me,” she said. “At that moment I realized I had made a difference. I contributed to the mission.”