A sea of multi-colored military uniforms and the sounds of several languages were the backdrop for the Senior Enlisted Leader International Summit, held Aug. 9-13 in San Antonio.
SELIS, co-hosted by Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass and the Inter-American Air Forces Academy, brought together approximately 120 top enlisted leaders from the U.S. and 44 partner nations. The summit is normally held bi-annually for international senior enlisted counterparts to the chief master sergeant of the Air Force to discuss issues affecting the international community of enlisted Airmen and to further build relationships. It was last held at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in 2018.
This year’s theme was “Building an Airman.” Bass kicked off the conference expressing her enthusiasm for the gathering.
“In this room today we have 44 nations represented – 44 nations of friends, of partners, that all work hard at making our world a better place,” Bass said. “It’s our honor and privilege to spend this week with you talking about how we develop our United States Airmen … you’re here on purpose in San Antonio, because this is where everything starts for the United States Air Force enlisted corps. Every single one of our enlisted Airmen comes here – to Military City, USA.”
Bass, who marked one year as chief master sergeant of the Air Force Aug. 14, said that she’s been focused on three things since then.
“I’ve been…
