Selective Senior Enlisted Positions

Position Overview

Primary Duties

The CMSAF:

• Provides leadership to the enlisted force
• Advises the:
• Chief of Staff of the Air Force
• Secretary of the Air Force
• Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Secretary of Defense

…on enlisted matters for Airmen and their families.

Additional Responsibilities

• Communicates with the force
• Serves on boards and committees for organizations affecting Airmen
• Testifies before Congress
• Is the USAF career field manager for command chief master sergeants and group superintendents
• Consults with sister service senior enlisted advisors on issues affecting all enlisted members
• Engages with foreign military leaders regarding theater security cooperation and partner nation development
• Represents the USAF to the American public, professional organizations, and media
• Manages the Air Force Order of the Sword Program

Address

History of the Position

Sister Service Precedents

By that time:

• Marine Corps had created Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps in 1957
• Army had created Sergeant Major of the Army in 1965

CMSAF Established

See Attachment 5, *Chief Master Sergeants of the Air Force*, for a photo and brief biography of all CMSAFs.

Position Scope

• Wings
• Centers
• Numbered Air Forces (NAF)
• Major Commands (MAJCOM)

Core Responsibilities

The CCM provides general supervision to the command's enlisted force and is responsible for advising commanders and staff on:

• Mission effectiveness
• Professional development
• Recognition
• Key enlisted Airmen nominations and hires
• Accelerated promotions
• Performance evaluations
• Military readiness
• Training
• Utilization
• Health, morale, and welfare of the organization's enlisted

…and takes action to address shortfalls or challenges.

Additional Activities

CCMs:

• Regularly visit Airmen, including traveling to geographically separated units/elements
• Interact with sister service counterparts
• Serve as a liaison to and work closely with the local community
• Ensure the enlisted force is ready to meet mission requirements (in-place and deployed)

Distribution Panel Role

They assist and advise in the selection and nomination of enlisted Airmen for positions of greater responsibility, including developmental special duties.

Functional Manager Role

The CCM is the functional manager for subordinate unit's senior enlisted leaders and first sergeants in their organization, and performs other duties as required/directed by their commander.

Related Titles

• Senior Enlisted Advisor (SEA)
• Senior Enlisted Leader (SEL)
• Chief Enlisted Manager (CEM)

…are only used when holding a designated and approved position.

Approved use of the titles SEA and SEL are often used in joint and coalition organizational structures and are not always synonymous with the role of a command chief master sergeant.

Position Role

Where SELs Serve

• Squadron levels
• Group levels
• Headquarters levels

Core Mentorship Function

These enlisted leaders provide:

• Mentorship
• Guidance
• Experience
• Expertise

…in organizing, equipping, training, and mobilizing the organization's enlisted force to meet home station and expeditionary mission requirements.

Distribution Panel Support

They also assist and advise in the selection and nomination of enlisted Airmen for positions of greater responsibility, including developmental special duties.

Total Force SEL Duties

Total Force SELs:

• Manage and direct resource activities
• Interpret and enforce policies and applicable directives
• Establish control procedures to meet mission goals and standards
• Actively support and maintain robust recognition programs

They work in concert with other enlisted leaders to oversee the:

• Readiness
• Training
• Health, morale, and welfare
• Quality of life

…of assigned personnel.

Commander Representation

SELs represent the commander on all matters to support mission and personnel readiness, including:

• Maintaining the pulse of the enlisted force
• Participating on advisory councils and boards
• Interacting with sister-service counterparts
• Performing other duties as required/directed by the commander

Role and Tradition

Standards Required

These qualities require the First Sergeant to always:

• Remain perceptive and credible
• Exemplify the core values of the United States Air Force

Air Force Career Field Manager (AFCFM)

AFCFM Responsibilities

AFCFMs are responsible for:

• Establishing career field entry requirements
• Managing trained personnel requirements
• Developing and managing career-long training plan requirements and programs

They also:

• Construct viable career paths
• Evaluate training effectiveness
• Monitor health and manning of the career field
• Provide input on manning, personnel policies, and programs
• Regularly visit Airmen, including traveling to geographically separated units/elements

Progression and Succession Planning

Functional Expertise Role

As functional experts, they ensure their career fields are responsive to both current and future needs of the USAF.

They rely heavily on collaboration and communicate directly with:

• Other HAF offices on issues impacting their career field
• MAJCOM and FOA enlisted career field representatives and training managers to disseminate USAF and career field policies and program requirements

Major Command Functional Manager (MFM)

• Manage designated enlisted career fields
• Serve as the major command liaisons for their respective AFCFMs

MFM Activities

MFMs:

• Regularly visit organizations in the major command they oversee
• Monitor the health and manning of their career fields within their command
• Elevate concerns to the AFCFMs

Training and Coordination

MFMs:

• Manage command training for their career field
• Coordinate command training and personnel issues across their major command staff and with AFCFMs
• Disseminate USAF and career field policies and program requirements affecting their career field throughout the major command

Personnel Center Coordination

They also provide functional and subject matter expertise to training managers to develop new or modify/improve existing training programs.