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SEAC brings inspiration to Scott AFB

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Maria Bowman
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan Battaglia, senior enlisted advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited Scott AFB Oct. 28-Oct. 31.

The SEAC, who is the principle advisor to the CJCS and the Secretary of Defense on all joint and combined total force matters, toured Team Scott and the community.

The SEAC said touring Scott and meeting its people was a memorable experience.

"The monumental piece was visiting all the units," Battaglia said. "It was a pleasure to hear the Airmen and young noncommissioned officers talk about their job, their contribution and the impact they bring to the overall mission."

From his office in the Pentagon as the top enlisted person in the entire U.S. military, he's spent the last year visiting bases and combat zones meeting and listening to Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen.

"Regardless of time served, regardless of someone's AFSC, you and I are all members of this profession," Battaglia said. "This profession is so much larger than just a job."

The SEAC also held an all call Oct. 29 in the base theater to underscore the four priorities of the CJCS: Achieve national objectives in current conflicts, develop Joint Force 2020, keep faith with the military family and renew service members' commitment to the profession of arms.

Battaglia said one of his personal priorities is renewing the commitment to the profession of arms.

"It is time to recommit to the profession of arms, no matter if the person has been in for four years or 40. You all took (an oath) when you joined your branch of service," said the 33-year serviceman. "The oath that I take as the most senior NCO in the Armed Forces is the same identical oath as the most junior service member in this building right now."

The SEAC also emphasized the importance to build up an inner toughness to effectively handle adversity.

"We hit challenges every day of our life," he said. "When you hit that barricade, you have some choices to make. You can either go through it, around it or turn around and go the other way.

"The military teaches to access the problem, develop some courses of action, select a course of action, and accomplish and overcome," he said. "Resiliency is having a lifestyle of building toughness in those domains and being able to overcome adversity with less agony and resistance for when you hit that barricade."

Battaglia also visited Jefferson Barracks where he met with wounded service members, vets and toured the new post-traumatic stress disorder facility.

"Our veterans are as much a part of the family as our active duty, reserve and guard members," he said. "A veteran's recovery is important to us and that's the connection we have in the Armed Forces as one big family."

For more information on the SEAC, visit his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/seac.jcs or Twitter at www.twitter.com/seac_jcs.