Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Trey Hutcheson | 190326-N-VQ790-1007 NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (March 26, 2019) A gold foul anchor rest on a...... read more read more
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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (March 26, 2019) – Unity. Service. Navigation. These three words guide all U.S. Navy chief petty officers. They are represented daily by the letters - U.S.N. which have adorned the gold fouled anchor collar device since April 1, 1893. That device is the symbol of deckplate leaders who have been deemed worthy of the title “chief.”
Chief petty officers aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) share what makes the chief birthday special to them, and why it’s important.
“The chief birthday to me means that we get to celebrate another year of legacy,” said Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Daquann Woodall, from Brooklyn, New York, restricted personnel department leading chief petty officer. “126 years as the fore-runners of leading the charge in a fight, being able to execute the orders that come from higher than us, as well as meeting the needs of those that work for us. To figure that out and execute that for 126 years is definitely worth celebrating.”
Command Master Chief Maurice Coffey, from Chicago, command master chief aoard George Washington, has worn anchors since 2001 and has experienced his fair share of chief birthdays.
“When you look at the chief birthday you are talking about tradition and heritage inside our Navy,” said Coffey. “We are the gatekeepers of heritage and tradition. That is what the chiefs mess is called upon to do, and we always have to reflect. You have to know where you came from to know where you are going.”
One way that chief petty officers from around the Norfolk area celebrate the chiefs’ birthday involves coming together for a luncheon.
“The chief petty officer luncheon in Norfolk is where all the chiefs in the area come and network and share in camaraderie,” said Woodall. “I always tell people that chief birthdays are where we become stronger. For myself, I have been in the Navy for 12 years, and to have someone that has been in the Navy for 33 years tell me their experiences, I know there are lessons to learn.”
Master Chief Navy Counselor Ellis Picheloupe, from Memphis, Tennessee, a command career counselor aboard George Washington, has spent 30 years in the Navy and shares some of the same sentiments as Woodall.
“When we get together, it is a time to see old friends and reminisce, but at the same time to get those lessons learned out there and try to improve on the things that have been done,” said Picheloupe. “[It is] a time to make sure the new chiefs are getting what they need to be able to do the jobs that we are looking for to forge the new Navy.”
According to Picheloupe, the chief birthday is not just about looking back but also looking forward. One way to accomplish this is the relationships that chiefs have with one another that form because of celebrating the chief birthday.
“There are always new chiefs, and it is nice to meet them and find out who is doing what in the fleet,” said Picheloupe. “We learn from others, and we find out what their abilities are from what your abilities are. Later on down the road, when you need help, you remember who those people are.”
It was 126 years ago that the chief petty officer rank was created, and with more chiefs willing to help spread the history and what it means to be a chief, the rank will continue to grow for another 126 years.
Join the conversation with GW online at www.facebook.com/USSGW and www.twitter.com/GW_CVN73. For more news from USS George Washington, visit www. Navy.mil/local/cvn73/.
| Date Taken: | 03.26.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 04.02.2019 11:26 |
| Story ID: | 316543 |
| Location: | NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 152 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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