Senior enlisted advisor to CJCS visits Nellis

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jack Sanders
  • 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFNS) --  The senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff visited Nellis Air Force Base, Creech AFB and the Nevada Test and Training Range to see and better understand Airmen and their capabilities.

"It's been a very, very good trip," said U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan Battaglia. "(My wife,) Lisa, and I have learned a whole lot in a short amount of time."

During his time at Nellis AFB, Battaglia toured the base visiting Airmen on the job. He said his visit was insightful and mentioned how impressed he was to see how much Airmen, at all tiers, are accomplishing.

The sergeant major took time out to speak to Airman and their families, discussing the Joint Chiefs chairman's top four priorities as well as the importance of resiliency and development. He also took part in a question and answer session.

The chairman's top four priorities are to achieve national objectives in the current conflicts, develop Joint Force 2020, renew the U.S.'s commitment to the profession of arms and keep faith with military families.

"We're changing the culture and lifestyle of how we as service members and families live," Battaglia said. "So, if you're familiar with Comprehensive Airman Fitness for example -- those four domains (physical, social, mental and spiritual wellness) -- we want those domains to serve as ingredients to every Airman to be built into your daily menu, or lifestyle, for both you and your family. You're practicing those domains each and every day to build resiliency so that you and your family and your unit maintain a degree or a level of optimum performance."

Battaglia spoke several times during his trip about resiliency, development and pride.

"Resiliency is one of many things, from a leader's standpoint, that needs to start from the top as well as it starts at the bottom," he said. "Resiliency programs play a huge part in the individual, the family, the unit and the organization, and that happens in a garrison-style environment as well as it does for combat. You'll see as time goes on, resiliency will continue to grow and grow amongst our force."

As the force grows and develops, the role that development plays doesn't change, Battaglia said.

"Development is going to take place, whether it is in garrison or in combat -- any operational theater for that matter," Battaglia said. "Development never stops. As a matter fact, even at my level I feel that I'm still being developed. Development may come in various forms of OJT -- on-the-job training -- to formal school. I see development maintaining its current course. "

Battaglia is the second person to serve in the role of senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His predecessor, U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. William Gainey, was the first person to hold the position from 2005 until 2008, when he retired. Battaglia said that while his position may be new and growing, there are some challenging pieces to it.

The sergeant major said a major concern of military leaders, and to him personally, is the issue of suicide.

"It's a problem or a challenge that we have yet to crack the code (on)," he said. "One of my priorities as this (senior enlisted advisor to the chairman) is to at least develop some effective courses of action to implement or institutionalize into the service member or the service branch in and of itself to help reduce suicides throughout our force. It's been very challenging, and that makes it very important in my mind."

Battaglia also said he is proud of the new generation of service members.

"Over the past 10 years, while our nation's been in conflict, young men and women have been joining our military, and it tells you they have been joining knowing the possibility or risk to be deployed to harm's way," he said. "That's taking place, and some, sadly enough, have given their life to protect our nation and our freedoms, and I don't think there's anything more proud than you can be to see young men and women of our country, our society, joining our ranks and files and wearing the cloth of our nation."