The Air Force's First Female Enlisted Leader Broke the 'Brass Ceiling.' Here’s Her View on Retirement.

Katherine Kuzminski, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security think tank who researches military culture, told Military.com that Bass, in many ways, was absolutely the right person for the job and her tenure broke a long trend of men leading in the position.

"It's striking when you go into the air hall in the Pentagon or you go to the Air Force Academy and go to club there, and you walk in and see the photos of every person who has ever served in the role of chief of staff of the Air Force and chief master sergeant of the Air Force, and it's striking. There's one woman on that wall,"Kuzminski said. "The term 'brass ceiling' is even more pronounced on the enlisted side ... so I do think it's a powerful image to see."

Showing Up

Bass has taken on many policy changes during her tenure, such as allowing Air Force women to wear their hair in up to two braids or a single ponytail; updating tattoo policies; and examining and reforming a variety of barriers to service based on race and gender.

"We are potentially losing high-quality airmen to a policy that has not kept pace with the times," Bass said in a Facebook post last year. "This is about evolving standards … not lowering them. And this is about bringing in the talent we need to build the Force of the Future."

Kuzminski said Bass' ability to communicate on social media and discuss issues not just online, but also in person, has been one of the highlights of her tenure.

"At a time when we were dealing with the recruiting challenge and also the conversations about broader quality-of-life issues ... she brought a sense of professionalism and a call to living up to the Air Force's values and standards," Kuzminski said. "And at the same time, she was very approachable and, so when she was out in the community, she was truly meeting with airmen across the force."

As she walked around the Air and Space Forces Association's conference this week, Bass handed out challenge coins and patches and took numerous pictures and selfies with young airmen.

That representation means a lot to them, especially young women in the ranks.

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