Photo By Laine E Pulfer | Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3's Chief Utilitiesman James Marquez is...... read more read more
Story by Builder Constructionman Laine Pulfer, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 Public Affairs.
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 celebrated the promotions of nine newly inducted Chief Petty Officers (CPO) during one of the Navy’s most time-honored ceremonies, Sept. 13, at Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan - a location that for more than 70 years has seen Navy Seabees don gold fouled anchors.
The new Seabee chiefs were joined by nine other newly promoted chiefs from the U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa and the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) during an official CPO pinning ceremony.
Command Master Chief David Jones, assigned to 3rd MEF, said each new Chief transformed from service members once focused mostly on self to deckplate leaders belonging to a Navy-wide family.
“They now understand the importance of a team and what it means to belong to the CPO Mess,” said Jones. “During CPO 365 Phase 2, they learn that their new Mess is a ‘resource library.’ There have been many days when you think to yourself, as a chief, that this is the worst day of my life. Then, you go to the Mess, talk to your fellow chiefs and see miracles happen.”
Four weeks ago, each chief began a rigorous training schedule involving physical training, leadership, team work, time management and naval heritage.
More than 120 years since their establishment, promoting to chief is still regarded as the most significant advancement in an enlisted person’s career. The rank of CPO is a dual role - a technical expert and deckplate leader. Chief Petty Officer 365 Phase 2 is the modern training course that all new chiefs now experience before receiving their anchor collar device.
According to NMCB 3‘s Command Master Chief Joseph Arnold, the training inspires a shift in professional appearance and responsibility.
“It’s a tough process,” said Arnold. “The training is extensive, and they use a lot of their own time. There’s a noticeable change after CPO 365 Phase 2; they stand a little taller, with their chest out a little farther, while having a different sense of pride. They know they made the transformation from being junior enlisted to senior enlisted. Now it’s about taking care of the junior troops.”
As NMCB 3 conducts missions across the Pacific Region, the battalion’s newest senior leaders look to inspire others on what being a chief means, how they got there and what must be done to ensure others can join them in the Goat Locker.
“Being a chief means greater responsibility, mental preparedness, leadership – it means everything,” said NMCB 3 Chief Utilitiesman James Marquez, one of the day’s inductees. “It means I get to mentor junior troops and teach them how to get to where I am. You can ask a chief anything – we will always find an answer.”
One of the first battalions commissioned during World War II, NMCB 3’s legacy stands strong in its ability to build and fight anywhere in the world as either a full battalion or as a group of autonomous detachments, simultaneously completing critical engineering and construction missions.
For this deployment, NMCB 3 has split into 9 details to perform critical construction projects in remote island areas such as Timor-Leste, Tonga, Cambodia and the Philippines. The teams will also conduct operations in Atsugi, Yokosuka and Okinawa, Japan; Chinhae, Republic of Korea and China Lake, Calif.
The Naval Construction Force is a vital component of the U.S. Maritime Strategy. They provide deployable battalions capable of providing disaster preparation and recovery support, humanitarian assistance and combat operations support.
NMCB 3 provides combatant commanders and Navy component commanders with combat-ready warfighters capable of general engineering, construction and limited combat engineering across the full range of military operations.
| Date Taken: | 09.13.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 09.13.2013 05:40 |
| Story ID: | 113571 |
| Location: | OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 425 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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