DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AFNS) -- Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass, accompanied by Chief Master Sgt. Mike Perry, Air Force First Sergeant special duty manager, and Chief Master Sgt. Jalil Samacarchin, Air Force Aircraft Systems career field manager, visited Dover Air Force Base, Jan. 7-8, experiencing firsthand how Dover AFB trains multi-capable Airmen, develops innovative leaders, and continues to cultivate a culture of diversity and inclusion.
During her visit, Bass emphasized the importance of personal and professional readiness in response to the Air Force’s rapidly evolving strategic landscape.
“You are serving … in a time, today that it matters more than it ever has before,” Bass said. “When I came in, we were just focused on air, land, sea, now we have to focus on air, land, sea, space, cyber, information, and I’ll throw economics in there … that’s the high-end fight that we are thinking about.”
Over her two-day visit, Bass toured the base’s Tactics and Leadership Nexus and Bedrock innovation lab where Dover AFB Total Force Airmen can develop as multi-capable, innovative leaders.
“As an Air Force, we need to create the best leaders so that our Airmen realize they can reach their full potential,” Bass said. “I'm focused (on) how we get after developing leaders and getting after the culture. So that we identify it … we can have a culture where every Airman can thrive, where every Airman feels valued.”
Given her focus on culture, Bass also attended a luncheon with the Dover AFB diversity and inclusion advocates, who highlighted events from a three-day “Pause for Better Race Relations,” stand-down held at Dover AFB Aug. 5-7, 2020.
“There’s a difference in what’s formalized in policy and what truly needs to happen to motivate culture (change),” Perry said. “By far, everything I’m hearing and seeing at Dover (AFB), especially this (Pause for Better Race Relations) demonstrates that.”
Total Force Airmen from across the installation at Dover AFB are leading the Air Force culture shift.
“That is indicative of a (one-team culture) relationship between the 436th Airlift Wing, 512th Airlift Wing, 166th Airlift Wing, Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations, and Armed Forces Medical Examiner System Airmen,” Bass said.
Bass concluded her visit with discussion with Airman in which she emphasized the need to “Accelerate Change or Lose” coupled with a need to care for one another.
“The help that I’m going to ask is that you make a difference in your organizations,” Bass said. “That you leave it better than what you found it. I’m going to ask that you’re a good teammate to your fellow wingmen and for you to help create a culture you know is right.”