332D AIR EXPEDITIONARY WING -- Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass visited 332d Air Expeditionary Wing Airmen, March 23, 2022.
During her trip, she held an all-call where she gave shout-outs to different work sections, Total Force Airmen, Guardians, and sister service members, and acknowledged the years of experience in the room.
With more than 29 years of service, Bass has seen a transformation in the Air Force’s warfighting focus and has been pivotal to some of its recent culture and regulation changes.
“When I came in, we had to be strong in air, land, and sea, but in 2022, we have more domains,” Bass said. “We’re the smallest we’ve ever been and now we have to be strong in land, air, sea, space, cyber, and information. While our competitors are developing fast, we have American grit, spirit of innovation, and power, which you all bring. I need every Airman to understand it’s critical you’re supporting this mission, because what you’re doing here matters.”
Following her comments to the crowd, she answered questions from Airmen in the audience. Many of the answers stemmed from one of her priorities -- taking care of Airmen.
“Only one percent of our nation chooses to wear this uniform. We need to play the long game to ensure in 10 years we have the right people and talent serving in our U.S. Air Force,” she said. “We’ve got a lot of changes to make and that’s what [Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown Jr.] is talking about when he says we have got to accelerate, change or lose.”
Before departing the 332d AEW, Bass recognized some Red Tail Airmen for outstanding job performance and made a quick stop at Fire Station 1 to meet Fire Department Airmen.