Jun 19, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Air Force becomes first U.S. military branch to nominate a woman as top enlisted leader

Orion Rummler

Soldier stands next to packages — A McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft of the Air Force. Photo: Mikhail Metzel\TASS via Getty Images

Chief Master Sgt. JoAnne Bass was selected as the Air Force chief master sergeant on Friday, the AP reports.

Why it matters: Bass, who has served as Command Chief Master Sergeant for the 2nd Air Force at Mississippi's Keesler Air Force Base, is the first woman to serve as the branch's top enlisted leader in a military branch. She has served in the Air Force since 1993, per AP.

Bass was the consensus pick out a group of over a dozen finalists within the Air Force’s global operation, officials said in the press release cited by Task & Purpose.

What she's saying: “[Our airmen] are counting on leaders like me, to make a positive impact in their lives,” Bass said in a video reflecting on her selection, noted in Task & Purpose. “I owe them my best.”

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Air Force becomes first U.S. military branch to nominate a woman as top enlisted leader

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