USTRANSCOM SEL hangs up the Air Force uniform, begins next chapter—retirement

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (April 1, 2021) – With 31 years of military service and a total of 15 military assignments, U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jason L. France, the senior enlisted leader (SEL) for U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), retired today during a ceremony at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

France handed responsibility of USTRANSCOM as the senior enlisted leader to Fleet Master Chief Donald Myrick on March 30.

“Thank you every single member of USTRANSCOM, I appreciate and enjoyed working here, being a part of USTRANSCOM team, a family—that’s really what it is,” said France. “What a great honor to come and finish my career here at USTRANSCOM.”

France was selected as the SEL to USTRANSCOM in November 2018.

His role as the principal advisor to the combatant commander and senior staff on all matters concerning joint force integration, readiness, professional development, and effective utilization of the enlisted corps, reached more than 144,000 military and civilian warfighters providing global air, land, and sea transportation for the Department of Defense.

“When I was selected to come to be the senior enlisted leader for USTRANSCOM, it caused me to reflect on all of those things that I believe built me and got me here,” said France.

France grew up in Oak Harbor, Washington, near the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. His grandfather served in the Army during World War II and his father was in the Navy.

It was the military experiences of his peers and family which inspired him to join the military.

“I was excited to see what the world had to offer, and the military was a way to do that,” said France. “I knew immediately when I showed up for basic training, this was the lifestyle for me.”

France joined the Air Force in August 1990, where his first assignment was with the 47th Security Police Squadron at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, as a military working dog handler.

“During my time there [Laughlin AFB], I was the lowest-ranking airman,” said France. “I really enjoyed and learned a great deal about listening, about paying attention, and spent the majority of my time learning skills as a then-security policeman.”

From a young airman to a young noncommissioned officer, he worked in the mobility world, where he had the opportunity to teach at the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center, Fort Dix, New Jersey. What followed were several more assignments and deployments, where he was on the receiving end of the USTRANSCOM business.

His final assignment to the small Midwest installation just minutes away from St. Louis, Missouri, is where he became immersed in the support that he and others throughout the Department of Defense receive from USTRANSCOM.

“I earned a great appreciation for what it is we [USTRANSCOM] do for our nation and around the globe,” said France.

He elaborated, “USTRANSCOM is a committed group of professionals for our nation, who project and sustain combat power, and we often hear that, but when you really think about that, it’s the people that get the mission done,” said France. “The aircraft, the ships, the rails, the trucks, all of those things that make it happen are great to talk about, but the ‘secret sauce,’ the magic in USTRANSCOM, are those committed professionals that make all this work.”

As for looking back throughout his career, France said he has no regrets. “There have been so many opportunities given to me that I am walking away from 31 years in the military with my heart full.”

With his new spare time, France plans to hike the 2,653-mile Pacific Crest Trail, which he described as stretching from the border of Mexico in California, up through California and Oregon, all the way through Washington and ending at the Canadian border.

“It’s going to take about five to six months and I am going to enjoy every minute of it,” said France. “I’m going to take my time to recharge, disconnect, and reconnect with myself, and then figure out what the future holds.”

For those who wish to follow France’s trek, he hopes to blog about his journey through social media.

USTRANSCOM exists as a warfighting combatant command to project and sustain military power at a time and place of the nation’s choosing. Powered by dedicated men and women, TRANSCOM underwrites the lethality of the Joint Force, advances American interests around the globe, and provides our nation's leaders with strategic flexibility to select from multiple options, while creating multiple dilemmas for our adversaries.