JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md.— Senior enlisted leaders concluded the two-day Defense Senior Enlisted Leader Council (DSELC) on Sept. 24, 2024, after engaging in critical discussions to align strategies on key issues affecting the enlisted force and families across all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The event, led by Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman (SEAC) of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Troy E. Black, featured prominent leaders from every service and multiple defense agencies. Discussions emphasized the importance of Joint Force readiness, modernization, and improving the quality of life for service members and their families.

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy James N. Honea provided key updates on Navy service matters, focusing on force organization, deployment rotations, and cooperative solutions to challenges faced by the defense industrial base. His remarks underscored the Navy’s commitment to maintaining operational readiness while adapting to modern warfare requirements.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David A. Flosi briefed on the Air Force’s Force Generation (AFFORGEN) model, explaining how unit and wing structures support agile combat employment. He addressed the Air Force’s efforts to develop solutions to the evolving strategic environment, ensuring the service remains adaptable and prepared for future conflicts.

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael R. Weimer provided an overview of the Army’s updates, including advancements in weapons platform prioritization and enlisted force development. He reiterated the Army’s commitment to equipping the Joint Force with combat capabilities that all services can rely on.

U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Kyle B. Ellison, Deputy Director for Current Operations at the Joint Staff’s J3 directorate, presented a briefing on the global security environment, providing an in-depth analysis of geopolitical challenges and their impact on the U.S. military’s operations.

Master Gunnery Sgt. Daniel M. Jackson shared the Marine Corps’ lessons learned during recent force modernization efforts. He highlighted how the Marine Corps’ consistent culture and commitment to excellence have contributed to their recruiting success—lessons that other services undergoing modernization can adopt.

Mr. Thomas Emswiler, Director of the 14th Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation, updated the council on the progress of the upcoming report, outlining projected officer and enlisted pay figures and emphasizing how the review will ensure military compensation remains competitive in modern society.

U.S. Air Force Col. Jonathan Kuntz from the Joint Staff J7 Directorate presented on the Joint Warfighting Concept, detailing how this strategy is shaping the integration of capabilities across the services and allied and partner nations to confront future threats in any environment.

During the event, the spouses of the Senior Enlisted Advisors and Leaders continued discussions focused on the vital role of family support in military life. Mrs. Sharene Brown, spouse of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, highlighted the importance of strong command team relationships in fostering a supportive environment for service members and their families. Ms. Erika Slaton, Director of Military Community Support Programs from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, spoke on the wide range of family support initiatives, including updates to the Military OneSource Networks, which provide crucial resources to military families. These discussions underscored the collective commitment to strengthening the family support system across the services.

The conference concluded with an hour-long briefing from Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., who addressed the global security environment and the changing character of warfare. He outlined his expectations for the enlisted force and its most senior leaders and discussed how the Joint Force must balance current operations with advancing integration and modernization efforts. Gen. Brown stressed the importance of relationships and integration across U.S. services, departments, and with Allied and partner nations. Gen. Brown reaffirmed that the enlisted service member remains the single largest strategic advantage of the U.S. Armed Forces.

“This year’s fall edition of the DSELC reinforced a collective commitment to ensuring the readiness and effectiveness of the U.S. military, with a focus on modernization, joint force integration, and improving the well-being of service members and their families,” said Sgt. Maj. Black. “Spending our most precious resource, time, to have these discussions in person has an undeniably valuable return on investment.”

The DSELC positions the advisors to the world’s most powerful military leaders to strengthen the relationships, readiness, and Joint culture that enables service members to do the only thing they exist to do.

“We win. We’re not here to merely fight our Nation’s wars—we’re here to win them. The next DSELC in spring of ‘25 will be another critical junction for the Service SELs and Combatant Command CSELs to ensure our enlisted force lives up to the Chairman’s expectations and we uphold the oaths we swore.”