JoAnne “JO” Bass didn’t know what a chief master sergeant of the Air Force (CMSAF) was when she enlisted at 18 years old, so becoming one certainly wasn’t her goal from the start.
As a young Army brat, Bass said she grew up not knowing what she wanted to do. “My dad was not going to pay for college, so at 18 years old, I had to figure out life,” she said. Bass knew she didn’t have the money for college and wasn’t quite ready for traditional college. Bass remembered her father saying, “four years in the military never hurt anybody,” and while she wasn’t a fan of getting up before 5 a.m. like she watched her father do for his entire career, she enlisted in the Air Force, with plans to serve four quick years, get GI Bill benefits and then figure out life.
When she finished her first four years, she had to decide whether to reenlist or not. “I always tell people I only reenlisted because I had a Honda Civic to pay for, and it was probably about the eight-year mark that I truly understood what it meant to wear our nation's cloth,” she said. “I learned what it meant to be part of some amazing organizations and deploying with some of our nation's heroes, that service and wearing this uniform was way more than a GI Bill and paying off a Honda Civic, it was ultimately part of something greater than myself. And so, at about the eight-year mark, I knew I was all-in and would serve at least 20 years.”
Bass attended her first level of professional military education and learned about some of her military heritage and military leaders that served before her. She noticed that all the prior Chief Master Sergeants of the Air Force were all men. That prompted her to give a speech at Airman Leadership School, sharing that one day she wanted to be the first female Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, while not truly having an idea of what that meant.
Education Provides Opportunities
Early in her career, Bass shares she had wingmen who challenged her to be the best. One way they challenged her was through education. “They were going to college and encouraging me to go to college as well,” she said. Starting with one class at a time, she knew it would benefit her personally and professionally while both serving and after she left the military. Her advice to any service member is, “Don't wait on college; start now.”
All service members can start their education, and in many cases they can transfer credits from their training and professional military education to any university; for U.S. Airmen, they also are encouraged to take classes toward their Community College of the Air Force degrees. Bass encourages everyone to start their education early in their career and to choose an area they are passionate about.
Paying it Forward with Columbia Southern University
“It was an honor and a privilege to serve as CMSAF, primarily because it provided me an opportunity to help influence the trajectory of America's Air Force,” Bass said. Serving gave her the platform to focus on the readiness of the force, while at the same time helping set the conditions for our service members to become their very best. In this next chapter, people and national security remain her passions, and that’s one of the things that drew her to Columbia Southern University.
As a strategic adviser, her two specific focus areas are: national security and defense. Bass has a seat at the table to discuss future degree programs, the future workforce and opportunities to consider such as strong cybersecurity, space, and emergency management or safety programs.
“We just established a nursing program, and of course, our College of Military Studies and Leadership,” Bass said. “All of the programs we currently have and that we're looking at in the future really focus on programs that our students are looking for, as well as programs that help our nation as a whole.”
Bass shares the advantages of studying at CSU: affordability and accessibility. “While those are great aspects that draw students to us, what drew me to Columbia Southern University were the values,” she said. “Constantly thinking about how we can ensure the student experience is the best it can be -- by both making it easier for our students to access college and the programs are relevant.”
“I encourage our service members and their families to become part of the communities where they live, which means continuing to serve in their community, whether in youth sports, Boys and Girls Club, schools, food pantries, etc. While our nation is not short of challenges, it’s the people who will help us rise to any occasion, especially those who have served in our United States military. So, keep serving, stay connected [and] always be part of the solution.”
To learn more about the College of Military Studies and Leadership at Columbia Southern University, visit columbiasouthern.edu.
