General Wolters was joined by Command Sergeant Major Siim Saliste, Allied Command Operations CSEL. Together, the two military leaders met with Mr. Jüri Luik, Estonian Minister of Defence, Major General Martin Herem, Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, and Major General Andis Dilans, Baltic Defence College Commandant.
General Wolters spoke to the course of command senior enlisted leaders, noting the importance of command leadership and the role CSELs play within it.
A son of a general officer in the US Air Force, who started his career as an enlisted member, and the father of a now lieutenant in the US Air Force who was previously an NCO, General Wolters said he has experience with the capability of NCOs.
“I was able to see first-hand as a young boy growing up and as a father looking down, the value of smart NCO’s ability to change the battle space.”
The general said militaries must listen to the full spectrum of their fighting forces to be effective in the 21st century, highlighting the importance and innovation of the NCO corps.
“We certainly need to appropriately educate the full spectrum of our force and its initiatives like [the CSEL course] that put us in a far better position to deter in the 21st century,” General Wolters added.