Photo By Lt. Carl Link | 190913-N-CL230-1005 SAN DIEGO (Sept. 13, 2019) Eight chief petty officer selectees...... read more read more
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SAN DIEGO – Eight chief petty officer (CPO) selectees presented themselves on Friday in crisply-pressed khaki uniforms for a pinning ceremony onboard USS Stethem (DDG 63). Over the past six weeks, the selectees all completed the chief season in order to gain the necessary skills to conduct their leadership duties. This year marks the 126th anniversary of the CPO rank.
Promotion to chief petty officer requires passing an exam, exceptional performance evaluations, and board selection. Once selected, those seeking to earn the rank of chief petty officer must complete the six-week initiation that involves physical fitness, team-building exercises, leadership training and lessons on history and traditions. At the culmination of the season, the selectees are presented at an official ceremony to be pinned with their anchors, the symbol of the chief.
Chief Fire Controlman (Aegis) Ryan Blough, Chief Gas Systems Turbine Technician (Mechanical) Roberto Dela Cruz, Chief Cryptologic Technician (Collections) Matthew Jefferson, Chief Sonar Technician (Surface) Andrew Johnson, Chief Navy Counselor Ramone Joseph, Chief Fire Controlman Kenneth Martin, Chief Electronics Technician Christopher Schmidt, and Chief Operations Specialist Steven Warden were among the 26 percent of eligible Sailors advanced this year.
“Every new Sailor or officer knows the three words that will help them most in their Navy career: "Ask the chief," said Cmdr. John Rummel, commanding officer of USS Stethem. “Your answers, solicited or not, will motivate, mentor, counsel and advise. Your answers will make profound and lasting differences in so many lives.”
Each chief then received their anchors and combination covers from family members and their sponsors, signifying their new positions of leadership and responsibility.
“It was a lot of soul searching, and one of the most difficult times of my life,” said Johnson. “This is something I’ve been striving for since I joined 12 years ago, and standing up there is humbling because I know the work is just beginning.”
USS Stethem is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer homeported in San Diego and is part of the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group.
| Date Taken: | 09.13.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 09.17.2019 17:09 |
| Story ID: | 341642 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 227 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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