Photo By 1st Sgt. Seth D Schaeffer | 170824-N-SL853-186 GREAT LAKES (Aug. 24, 2017) Recruit Training Command and Great...... read more read more
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GREAT LAKES (NNS) -- Navy chief petty officer selectees and chief petty officers from Naval Station Great Lakes gathered together to demonstrate their pride and heritage during the 15th annual Chicago U.S. Navy Chief Pride Day Aug. 24.
The 213 selectees, Sailors who have been selected for promotion to the rank of chief petty officer in the Navy from Recruit Training Command, NSGL and surrounding regions, marched through the streets of the "Windy City" visiting Chicago landmarks and learning more about the city's heritage.
"It gives me goosebumps to be a part of this," said Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Heather Eisenhardt, assigned to the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center. "It's really great to be a part of the chiefs mess that comes together to socialize and work and give back to our community and show the community what we do and who we are.
"I really hope they have a good time today and can feel the sense of pride and the sense of heritage that we as the chiefs mess have and that we all love dearly," Eisenhardt continued. "I hope that they take away some good feelings and a sense of 'I want to be a part of that' even though I think they are already know they do. I got really lucky, because the RTC coordinators, who had the lead on this event, were awesome handling all the intricacies. They were right on top of communication and every time I had a question, they had the answer. It went really well."
The selectees started their day off with a visit to the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center to spend time with the veterans there.
Their next stop was Soldier Field, which is dedicated to the men and women of the armed services, where the selectees were able to take a tour, photos and eat lunch.
From there, the selectees began their march to Navy Pier, visiting many significant landmarks along the way. They stopped at locations such as the Shedd Aquarium, the bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln Park, and the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Plaza, where they were able to glance upon the names of more than 2,900 Illinois servicemen who gave their lives during the Vietnam War.
"It's an honor to be a chief select and to be down here for Chicago Pride Day, experiencing all the history that Chicago has to offer and to show off the military and what we have," said Electronics Technician 1st Class Shawn Eisenberg, assigned to the Center for Surface Combat Systems, Great Lakes. "The Chicago area has so much history with just the military and chiefs in general and being able to go to every location, such as Soldier Field. It's a real honor to actually be here and experience the history."
The chiefs and selectees then marched their way to the Navy Pier as enthusiastic Chicagoans and tourists alike applauded, cheered and snapped photographs.
While there, the future chief petty officers spent time at the anchor from USS Chicago, which is from the third warship named after the city. This USS Chicago was commissioned in 1945 as a heavy cruiser, and after WWII was converted to a guided missile cruiser (CG-11). She saw service in Vietnam and received the Navy Unit Commendation.
"I think this is a defining moment for the chief selects in their process of becoming chief petty officers." said RTC Command Master Chief Shawn Isbell. "I'm extremely excited that we get to show off the pride that we have in being chief petty officers with one of the greatest organizations inside the military. I am excited to recharge on some CPO pride and the spirit behind what we do on a daily basis."
"I had a conversation with two young chiefs this morning and they said that last year this was the moment they realized how awesome the Chiefs Mess was and how powerful we were as a unit versus individuals," continued Isbell. "The same thing will happen for our selects this year when they see the chief petty officers marching behind them singing with them, joining in with them, and showing off our pride. They will realize what a wonderful organization they are joining and becoming a part of, making it stronger, each and every Sailor who is entering the mess."
For one selectee, seeing the anchor and learning about its history helped to reinforce and reinvigorate the pride that she has been feeling since she learned that she was selected for chief petty officer.
"I absolutely love history, and learning about the history of just this one anchor helped me to understand the enormous responsibility that my own anchors will carry when I get them Sept. 15," said Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brandie Wills. "An anchor can control a ship. If you are not careful, it can cause a ship to run aground. It's the same with the anchors that we'll wear on our collars, if we're not careful with them, we can cause serious damage."
Chicago Pride Day was established in 2003, and is modeled after a similar event held yearly in Boston. The purpose of the event is to introduce newly selected chief petty officers to the heritage of the City of Chicago and to instill pride in them as members of the Chicagoland community. It also presents an opportunity for the citizens of Chicago to learn more about the heritage of the Navy and the Sailors stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes, about 35 miles north of the city.
The event is sponsored in part by the USO of Illinois, which provides transportation and refreshments for the daylong event.
"It's just amazing to think about the impact that becoming a chief has, not only on my own life, but also on the lives of my Sailors," said Wills. "This day has been so amazing, and I'm so honored to have been able to participate in it."
For more information visit: www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy or www.twitter.com/usnavy.
For more news from Recruit Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/rtc/
| Date Taken: | 08.25.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 09.21.2018 09:41 |
| Story ID: | 293901 |
| Location: | NORTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 185 |
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