| JoAnne S. Bass | |
| Birth Date: | 15 June 1974[1] [2] |
| Birth Place: | Mililani, Hawaii, United States |
| Allegiance: | United States |
| Branch: | United States Air Force |
| Serviceyears: | 1993–2024 |
| Rank: | Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force |
| Battles: | Iraq War |
| Alma Mater: | |
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,[3] having been selected for the position on June 19.[4] She is also the first person of Asian-American descent to hold the highest senior enlisted position in the Air Force.[5] 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.[6] 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."
Bass is originally from Mililani, Oahu, Hawaii.[7] 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.
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.[8]
In October 2020, when an airman posted a comment on a Facebook post asking about the correct pronunciation of her last name, Bass posted "[S]eems like you and a few of your friends enjoy trolling our Air Force sites. Give me a call Monday … I’d like to chat about it." She also posted, "My team has [their] info … as well as his crew". Bass later updated the Facebook page to say, "Teammates — I just had a good conversation with SSgt Banks. His question was simple and honest, but having him and a group of people ask it repeatedly across multiple posts was trolling."[9]
In January 2021, she shared a post on her official Facebook page highlighting an airman’s efforts to help out other single parents, thanking the airman "for making a difference" and sharing an article the airman wrote about the struggle of "wearing many hats" as an airman and mother. Bass was criticized for sharing the story, which portrayed the airman's ex-husband unfairly. Bass took down the post and apologized, writing "That was my blind spot and I owned it … because I didn’t see how that commentary could be taken from a father or a husband’s point of view".[10] [11]
In 2020, a retired Air Force officer was blocked from Bass's official Facebook page. When her office did not respond to his attempts to contact her to have the ban removed, the officer sued the Air Force. In 2022, the Justice Department determined that official Air Force websites and pages would not remove posts or ban users for their viewpoints, and the officer's access to Bass's Facebook page was restored.[12] [13]
| Personal decorations | |
| Defense Distinguished Service Medal[14] | |
| Legion of Merit[15] | |
| Defense Meritorious Service Medal | |
| Meritorious Service Medal with four bronze oak leaf clusters | |
| Joint Service Commendation Medal | |
| Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters | |
| Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters | |
| Unit awards | |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters | |
| Service awards | |
| Combat Readiness Medal | |
| Air Force Good Conduct Medal with one silver and four bronze oak leaf clusters | |
| Campaign and service medals | |
| National Defense Service Medal with one bronze campaign star | |
| Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with bronze service star | |
| Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze service star | |
| Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze service star | |
| Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal | |
| Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | |
| Service, training, and marksmanship awards | |
| Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon with oak leaf cluster | |
| Air Force Longevity Service Award with silver and bronze oak leaf clusters | |
| NCO Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon with two oak leaf clusters | |
| Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon | |
| Air Force Training Ribbon | |