Feb 03, 2026
Air Force Reservist, author and entrepreneur Charlynda Scales could not be more proud of her grandfather and the history of service in her family that spans four generations.
Charlie “Mutt” Ferrell Jr., Scales’ grandfather, was an aircraft mechanic in the Air Force during the Korean and Vietnam Wars and her main inspiration for enlisting.
“Service runs in my family,” Scales said. “My grandfather was my hero. I grew up watching his pride in serving his country and his community, and I wanted to carry that same spirit forward.”
After graduating from South Carolina’s Clemson University in 2004, she was commissioned into the Air Force and served 10 years on active duty.
Scales’ military journey began at Robins Air Force Base in Houston County, Georgia. Her specialty was acquisition program management — working with defense systems to help ensure the safety of military personnel. Later in her career, she helped support aircraft modernization programs and nuclear security.
In 2010, Scales gained her VFW eligibility when she received the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal for her service at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
She was officially sworn in at the VFW National Convention in Columbus, Ohio, in August 2025, and is an annual member of the VFW Department of Ohio.
As an Air Force Reservist, Scales focuses on program management and leadership within the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.
THE SECRET’S IN THE SAUCE
According to Scales, her grandfather had a hidden talent that even he wasn’t aware of.
Ferrell Jr. wanted to solve a problem that plagues kitchens everywhere: too many sauces taking up space in the cupboard and in the fridge. He wanted to discover a sauce that could be used for anything.
“[He] was an entrepreneur,” Scales said. “He just didn’t realize it at the time.”
Ferrell Jr. eventually found his masterpiece. A tangy, tomato-based barbeque sauce, called “Mutt’s,” is designed to be used with everything, whether it is with fries, coated on wings or spread on sandwiches.
While stationed in Okinawa, Japan, Ferrell Jr. perfected the recipe to “Mutt’s Sauce.” He wrote down the recipe on a sheet of paper that would be later passed down to Scales while she herself was on
active duty.
“My mother gave me the original handwritten recipe he left behind,” Scales said. “That moment changed the course of my life.”
In honor of her grandfather, Scales officially launched “Mutt’s Sauce” in 2005, and ever since, it has been a hit in local Ohio kitchens. She describes it as “continuing his spirit of service.”
Along with managing “Mutt’s Sauce,” Scales also finds time to write. A “storyteller at heart,” she authored “Rock Bottom Has a Trampoline,” which was originally published in 2023. The book relates Scales’ experiences with failure and how it can birth resilience.
“I wanted to show others that resilience is the common thread between every chapter of growth,” Scales said. “You can turn even the hardest parts of your journey into purpose.”
In March 2020, Scales gave birth to her son, David, whom she credits as “her fi nest achievement.”
This article is featured in the 2026 January/February issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Danny Cook, senior writer for VFW magazine.