Photo By Glenn Sircy | 180914-N-XX139-0012 PENSACOLA, Fla. (September 14, 2018) Thirty-two Sailors from the...... read more read more
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PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Thirty-two Sailors from the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT), Naval Hospital Pensacola, Navy Information Operations Command Pensacola, and Information Warfare Training Command Corry Station, donned their chief petty officer (CPO) anchors during a pinning ceremony at the National Naval Aviation Museum onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, Sept. 14.
The ceremony concluded a rigorous six-week CPO initiation season that began when the new CPOs were notified, Aug. 7. Throughout the six-week period, they were required to participate in approximately 130 training, teambuilding and community relation events.
Families, friends and shipmates joined the selectees as they officially donned their coveted gold CPO fouled anchors, and earned the title of Navy chief petty officer.
For CIWT’s Command Master Chief Mike Bates, this CPO initiation season was especially noteworthy since it marked his 13th and final season of mentoring and molding Sailors into CPOs. Bates is approaching retirement from active duty in November, culminating 24-years of a very successful career and faithful service to this nation.
“The future of our Chiefs Mess is in great hands,” shared Bates. “Our local-area chiefs dedicated countless hours developing and mentoring this year’s chief selects into our next generation of chief petty officers. I am proud of their accomplishments, and I have no doubt they are ready to don the uniform and execute the duties and responsibilities of ‘The Chief.’”
In the Navy, CPOs are the deckplate leaders that get things done. The Navy took a major step 125 years ago and created the rank of CPO to provide enlisted leadership and bridge the gap between officers and enlisted.
The process of becoming a CPO is no easy task, and as the Navy grows and evolves to protect America's interests in a fast-paced, more complex and increasingly competitive environment, more is required of CPOs to continuously drive excellence in leading our Navy team forward.
“This selection is not a reward for what you’ve done throughout your extraordinary career,” wrote Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Russ Smith in his “charge letter” to this year’s new CPOs. “With your every act as a junior Sailor, you prepared yourself for this moment, and we are now calling on that talent and demanding – through your acceptance of this advancement – more from you. You will be expected to work longer hours, solve far more difficult problems and challenges, do more to empower your junior Sailors, and provide better and more seasoned advice to your officers. You must now work within the network of Chief Petty Officers, without desire for personal accolades, but rather a singular focus on building winning teams. In doing so, you will help the Mess do more together than we would otherwise be capable of based on the sum of our individual Chiefs alone.”
During initiation season, the local-area chiefs focused on and taught the meaning of the Chief Petty Officer Creed, which is considered the cornerstone document of the Navy’s CPO Mess. The CPO Creed outlines the ideals, values and expectations of every CPO. One section of the CPO Creed states, “It was our intent to impress upon you that challenge is good; a great and necessary reality which cannot mar you - which, in fact, strengthens you. In your future as a Chief Petty Officer, you will be forced to endure adversity far beyond that imposed upon you today. You must face each challenge and adversity with the same dignity and good grace you demonstrated today. By experience, by performance, and by testing, you have been this day advanced to Chief Petty Officer.”
Senior Chief Information Technology Specialist Curtis Buzard, chairman of this year’s CPO initiation committee, was very impressed with the results of initiation season.
“Over the past six weeks, our Chiefs Mess worked together to forge 32 first class petty officers into tested and tried chief petty officers,” said Buzard. “They understand it is only going to get harder from here. I am extremely fortunate to have been surrounded by such a professional team of chiefs that made this 125th banner year of chief petty officers such a success.”
For Chief Cryptologic Technician (Technical) Kees Sharp of IWTC Corry Station, the ceremony served as an opportunity to celebrate what is considered to be one of the most significant milestones of a Sailor's career.
"I am now, more than ever, that rock which Sailors of all paygrades will trust and lean on for guidance and mentorship," said Sharp. "This milestone definitely helps provide a better future and life for my family, and I’m humbly proud to share this with family, friends and my brothers and sisters in the Chiefs Mess."
CPOs have always been and will continue to remain the backbone of the Navy. Today’s newest CPOs throughout the fleet are now part of this longstanding and unique tradition that will continue to lead and prepare Sailors for the Navy the needs.
CIWT delivers trained information warfare professionals to the Navy and joint services, enabling optimal performance of information warfare across the full spectrum of military operations.
For more news from Center for Information Warfare Training enterprise, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/cid/, http://www.netc.navy.mil/centers/ciwt/, http://www.facebook.com/NavyCIWT, or http://www.twitter.com/NavyCIWT.
| Date Taken: | 09.14.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 09.14.2018 17:50 |
| Story ID: | 292926 |
| Location: | PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 247 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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