JoAnne S. Bass

JoAnne S. Bass (born June 15, 1974) is a retired senior noncommissioned officer in the United States Air Force and the nineteenth Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force. She became the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, and the first female to hold the highest senior enlisted rank in any United States military branch, on August 14, 2020, having been selected for the position on June 19. She is also the first person of Asian-American descent to hold the highest senior enlisted position in the Air Force. At the time of her selection, she was the Second Air Force's Command Chief Master Sergeant at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi, which she had reported to in July 2018. Air Force News reported "incoming Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown said Bass brings skills, temperament and experience that the job requires and an outlook on leadership that meshes with his own", and that he "could not be more excited to work side-by-side with Chief Bass."

Early life
Bass is originally from Mililani, Oahu, Hawaii. Her mother is of Korean descent and her father is a retired United States Army warrant officer. Her family lived in many stateside and overseas locations.

Military career
Bass joined the United States Air Force in 1993, specializing in aviation resource management. Bass's first duty assignment was at Pope Air Force Base, near Fayetteville, North Carolina. Later she was assigned to the 17th Training Wing at Goodfellow Air Force Base, near San Angelo, Texas. In 2011, while assigned to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, she was selected as Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. She has participated in Operation Southern Watch, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Bass was promoted to chief master sergeant on August 1, 2013, and to chief master sergeant of the Air Force on August 14, 2020.

Bass was succeeded by CCM David A. Flosi on March 8, 2024 before her retirement.

Education
1997 Airman Leadership School, Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina

2000 Associate degree, Airport Resource Management, Community College of the Air Force

2004 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Kapaun Air Station, Germany

2005 Bachelor of Science in Professional Aeronautics, Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University

2006 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Course 12, by distance learning

2007 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education, by distance learning

2009 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama

2013 Air Mobility Command Leadership Challenge Program, Ramstein Air Base, Germany

2013 Chief Master Sergeant Leadership Seminar, Ramstein Air Base, Germany

2015 AFSO21 Executive Leadership Seminar, University of Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee

2015 USAF Enterprise Leadership Seminar, UNC Kenan–Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

2016 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education II, by distance learning

2017 Keystone Command Senior Enlisted Leader Course, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.

2018 Leading Strategically, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colorado

2018 Coaching for Greater Effectiveness, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, North Carolina

Assignments

 * 1) June 1993 – June 1996, Operations System Management Journeyman, 74th Fighter Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina
 * 2) June 1996 – July 1998, Range Scheduling Specialist, 43rd Operations Support Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina
 * 3) July 1998 – November 2000, Noncommissioned Officer in Charge, Current Operations Scheduler, 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
 * 4) November 2000 – March 2001, Current Operations Scheduler, 86th Operational Support Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
 * 5) March 2001 – January 2004, Noncommissioned Officer in Charge, Special Airlift Operations, Air Mobility Operations Control Center, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
 * 6) January 2004 – November 2005, Noncommissioned Officer in Charge, Host Aviation Resource Management, 86th Operational Support Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
 * 7) November 2005 – August 2010, Superintendent, Host Aviation Resource Management, Group Career Field Functional Manager, (Data Masked)
 * 8) August 2010 – September 2012, Superintendent, Host Aviation Resource Management and Superintendent, 86th Operations Support Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
 * 9) September 2012 – May 2015, Superintendent, 86th Operations Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
 * 10) May 2015 – September 2016, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 17th Training Wing, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas
 * 11) September 2016 – July 2018, Chief, Air Force Enlisted Developmental Education, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
 * 12) July 2018 – August 2020, Command Chief Master Sergeant, Second Air Force, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi
 * 13) August 2020 – March 2024, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Other achievements
1995 Airman of the Year, 74th Fighter Squadron

1997 John L. Levitow Award, Airman Leadership School

2004 Distinguished Graduate, Noncommissioned Officer Academy

2009 Distinguished Graduate, Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy

2010 USAFE Senior Noncommissioned Officer Aviation Resource Manager of the Year

2011 Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, 86th Operations Group