Senior Master Sergeant Sharon Kay Waters: Age 78

Senior Master Sergeant Sharon Kay Waters served 22 years in the United States Air Force. Her Air Force Specialty Code was Administrative Superintendent for three years and one month and Administrative Technician for 19 years and three months. She received the following decorations, medals, badges, citations and campaign ribbons: Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one Device, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with one Device, Air Force Good Conduct Medal with six Devices, National Defense Service Medal, Air Force Overseas Short Tour Ribbon, Air Force Overseas Long Tour Ribbon with one Device, Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with four Devices, NCO Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon and Air Force Training Ribbon. She completed NCO Academy at Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C. and Senior NCO Academy by correspondence.

SMSgt Waters was born March 5, 1947 to her parents, Loren E. Lewis and Marjorie J. Lewis in Hastings, MI. Both parents served in the U. S. Navy during WWII. Her father then served in the U.S. Air Force retiring as a Tech Sergent, and her two brothers served in the U.S. Air Force. She was one of five children born to her parents. She moved often as her father was transferred with his military service, but when her father retired from military service, the family returned to Hastings, MI, where she graduated from Hastings High School in June 1965. This is the same high school that her mother graduated from, and her father attended until the 11th grade when he enlisted in the U. S. Navy.

SMSgt Waters' military career began when she volunteered and enlisted June 16, 1965 at Indianapolis, IN, immediately after graduation from high school. She completed Air Force Basic at Lackland Air Force Base, TX, and then she completed four weeks of training at the Technical School at Amarillo A.F.B., TX, where she trained in typing, going over administrative regulations and how to do publications. Her first assignment was at Barksdale A.F.B, LA, where she worked as an administrative assistant to the secretary with the 2nd Supply Squadron from August 1965 to May 1967. Next, she served at Offutt A.F.B., NB, during May 1967 to December 1968. Then she was deployed with her husband who was also serving in the U.S. Air Force on an accompanied tour to Sembach Air Base, Germany for one year where she worked in accounting and finance. The Air Force dentist at Offutt AFB and the orthodontist at Sembach AB gave her excellent dental care to remove teeth and provide dental braces. Then she served at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, during June 1970 to June, 1971, where she worked in a maintenance squadron with typing technical instructions. Then both she and her husband served at Wiesbaden, Germany during 1971-1973. Next, she served at Gunter A.F.B., AL, where she worked in administration in medical systems during September 1973 to February 1978 where she and her husband worked together. Then she was sent to Shemya A.F.B., AK, for one year during February 1978 to February 1979 on an unaccompanied tour leaving her husband and child behind in AL. Next, she was deployed from February 1979 to 1982 to Ramstein A.B., Germany where she worked with USAFE Intelligence in the administrative office on an accompanied tour bringing her husband, child and mother-in-law with her, and while there, she delivered her second child. From 1982-1984, she served at the Pentagon working with World Wide Medical Information Systems and then to McLean, VA, with Joint Services with the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Her last assignment was at Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, AL during 1984 to 1987 with the Military Entrance Processing Station where she made the schedules to meet requirements for uniforms, physical tests, etc. for each branch of service. In addition, she processed volunteers for the Air Force dealing with medical, testing, documents, hotel and meal arrangements. One such special event was a dinner called Dining In at the NCO Club at the Gunter Annex where everyone wore dress uniforms. SMSgt Waters retired from military service September 30, 1987.

After her military retirement, SMSgt Waters worked at the Central AL Veterans Health Care System in Montgomery, AL, during 1988-1994. First, she worked in Personnel and then in Quality Management. She used the G.I. Bill, attended Troy State University at Montgomery and received two degrees, a B.S. Degree in Social Science and Abnormal Psychology in 1988 and a Master of Science Degree in Human Development and Counseling in 1990. Then she worked at the Juvenile Center at the AL Department of Youth Services at Mt. Megs, AL. This was followed by working at Chemical Addictions Program Inc. and a rehab center in Montgomery, AL, where she did outpatient services, assessment and quality management of the quality control center from 1994 to 2012. She then taught inpatient family groups. She conducted supervision of master level therapists for licensed professional counselor certification at her home for five years retiring from all employment in 2016.

SMSgt Waters and her husband, Roy, were married 30 years, and they had two sons, two grandchildren and a step granddaughter. She was very close to her twin sister, Cheryl, until she passed. She has an artistic talent for arranging floral arrangements. She belongs to Eastern Hills Baptist Church in Montgomery. In the past, she has served as a volunteer with the Central-East AL Chapter of the American Red Cross with its telephone service to people suffering from disasters.

SMSgt Waters' conclusions about what serving in the U.S. military meant to her are: " Serving in the military was the greatest pleasure in my life. I learned a lot in the military. It helped me to make a transition from being an 18 year old to an adult. I learned how to treat people even when I disagreed with them. I am grateful for the wonderful supervisors that I had who took an interest in me and helped me to get my teeth straightened and were supportive of my family. It helped me to get an education and allowed me to travel." She would like to be remembered as a caring, committed and conscientious person.