Photo By Daniel Davenport | PORT HUENEME, Calif. – Lt. j.g. Dominic Pecchenino, a Naval Civil Engineer Corps...... read more read more
PORT HUENEME, Calif. – Thirty-one Civil Engineer Corps (CEC) junior officers graduated from the CEC Basic Qualification Course at the Naval Civil Engineer Corps Officers School (CECOS), Oct.27.
The 15-week course is a requirement for CEC officers before they report to their initial assignments as assistant public works officers and construction managers at Navy and Marine Corps installations or as platoon commanders and staff officers in the Naval Construction Force.
“Graduating from Naval Civil Engineers Corps Officers School’s four-month Basic Course is a significant accomplishment and just the start of service to their country,” said Capt. Pete Maculan, CECOS commanding officer. “I have no doubt this class of graduates will continue our proud tradition of selfless service, commitment, discipline, integrity, loyalty and respect. Our entire CECOS staff is confident each student is ready to assume the challenging duties of a naval officer and engineer and architect in support of the Navy's shore installations and the Naval Construction Force.”
Retired Capt. Christopher Kurgan, the 39th CECOS commanding officer, served as the guest speaker for the ceremony, and advised the Basic Class 275 students to seek guidance from those with more experience and knowledge.
“Be a leader, be a warrior,” said Kurgan. “Use the resources around you. Embrace the chiefs mess -- their experiences, knowledge and leadership. It will help develop you into an effective and respected leader.”
Five students were recognized for displaying outstanding character and competence during the 15-week course.
• Ensign Danile Ruggiero, honor graduate
• Lt. j.g. Dominic Pecchenino, distinguished graduate
• Ensign Shawn Colden, distinguished graduate and recipient of the Commodore Hunt Commemorative Esprit de Corps Award
• Ensign John Morton, distinguished graduate
• Ensign Ke Wang, distinguished graduate
Basic Class 275 was comprised of students who represent a cross section of society who come together in pursuit of a common goal – becoming a CEC officer.
“I joined the Navy to not only challenge myself, but to also help lead others,” said Ensign Karly Vial, a native of Sisters, Oregon, who will be a construction manager at Naval Research Laboratory, Washington D.C. “I made a good mix of lifelong friends, whom I plan on staying in touch with during my exciting CEC journey.”
“Having experience as an enlisted Sailor, I will now need to focus on my new role and responsibilities as a junior officer,” said Colden, a native of Las Vegas, Nevada, who joined the CEC community through Officer Candidate School (OCS) after serving 19 years as an enlisted Sailor. “I enjoyed the CECOS course and found the weekly mentor and character lessons to be highly effective.”
A small community of only 1,300 officers, CEC officers are found all over the world in highly technical positions supervising skilled personnel while working on construction projects, infrastructure repairs and maintenance, facility support contracts, real estate management, natural resource management, environmental planning and management, expeditionary construction and many other infrastructure management areas.
CECOS, located at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, California, provides Seabees, civil engineer corps officers, facility engineers and environmental professionals with the necessary skills, knowledge and education to enhance lifelong learning and to provide quality support to the fleet.
For more information about CECOS, visit www.netc.navy.mil/CECOS/ or follow CECOS on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/CivilEngineerCorpsOfficersSchool/
| Date Taken: | 10.27.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.30.2023 16:13 |
| Story ID: | 456808 |
| Location: | PORT HUENEME, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 250 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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