SEAC Praises Wright-Patt's Many Capabilities During Visit

  • Published
  • By Gina Marie Giardina
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  The nation's highest-ranking enlisted leader toured Wright-Patterson Air Force Base July 6-8 as part of his six-day trip to Ohio.

Sgt. Maj. Bryan Battaglia, the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC), met with many organizations here in order to get a first-hand look at mission capabilities and to speak with Airmen.

During the SEAC's tour, he made several stops in 88th Air Base Wing organizations such as the Integrated Learning Center, the Family Readiness Center, the Wright-Patterson AFB Medical Center and the Communications Group, among others.  He also visited organizations within the 711th Human Performance Wing, the Air Force Research Lab, the Air Force Institute of Technology, and the National Air and Space Intelligence Center. 

"Although I'm not able to see everything and can only touch a few of the capabilities of your organizations, I have been able to see enough that really pleases me," Battaglia said. "Wright-Patterson AFB brings vast capabilities to not just the state, but to the nation."

Another reason for Battaglia's visit was to engage with community partners, namely veterans' organizations.

"It's important that the three legs of the stool--if you will--between the veteran's administration, the community and the base are pretty solid," he said. "We want more veterans to come to Ohio and make it their place of residence." 

He praised these organizations for their work and the importance they place on how veterans help the local community.

"The unemployment rate is not as bad here as it is in some other states and that just shows the community's outreach with the way it takes care of its veterans."

According to the Department of Defense, Battaglia serves as the principal military advisor to the Chairman and the Secretary of Defense on all matters involving joint and combined total force integration, utilization, health of the force and joint development for enlisted personnel.

"To be a part of this is really a privilege," Battaglia said.  "But I can only be relevant if I am out and about soliciting information and feedback from the very men and women that decisions are going to impact.

Battaglia briefly spoke about the concern regarding the change in the retirement system--a change that generates great interest.

"I feel confident that the troops are going to feel very happy and satisfied with some of those changes which mainly deal with the retirement plan that they are going to fall in on should they opt to continue to volunteer to serve."

Battaglia, who has served more than 35 years in the military, said that what he sees from Airmen every day is the reason he has continued to serve.

"It makes me feel good that the innovation and ingenuity of the young Airmen that you see on the base here just performing their jobs--supporting those warfighters that are down range at the tip of the spear right now and doing our nations bidding...[these young Airmen] will get their turn but right now they are in the supporting role and doing one heck of a job at it."