Photo By Kyler Hood | As the most senior enlisted leader at Commander, Navy Region Hawaii (CNRH), Command...... read more read more
As the most senior enlisted leader at Commander, Navy Region Hawaii (CNRH), Command Master Chief (CMDCM) Quentin Terrell Newsom is doubling down on two tenets of effective leadership: acting on feedback and maximizing opportunities to support the CNRH mission.
Newsom, 46, began his new role as the principal adviser to Rear Adm. Stephen Barnett, commander of CNRH and Navy Closure Task Force-Red Hill this week. He previously served as the CMDCM for Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH).
CMDCMs function as a liaison between the commanding officer and the enlisted ranks, providing guidance on morale, training, discipline, and overall well-being of enlisted personnel.
“I’m going to be mainly executing the Admiral’s intent,” Newsom said prior to joining CNRH. “I have my own sense of where we need to go, what we need to change, but it’s best to hear from the people before you start making plans.”
During his 24 years of naval service, Newsom has earned numerous awards including the Defense Meritorious Service medal, five Meritorious Service Medals, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and several unit and campaign awards.
He encourages service members and civilians to constantly develop their skills and advance in their careers – and holds himself to the same high standard.
“If you want to pursue a goal to get a specific qualification or if you want to go to a specific school, if you can get there with funding and if the person has the maturity, then why not?” he said. “It’s also a great networking tool for them because they can always go back and talk to those individuals because they have a connection.”
Newsom is currently working on a Master of Arts in organizational leadership from Trident University International online.
The former Command Master Chief for CNRH, Derek Mullenhour, praised Newsom for his extensive Naval experience and explained the rigorous selection process that Newsom went through to obtain the job.
Typical candidates for regional CMDCM have about four to five previous master chief tours to ensure they are comfortable working with a flag officer and have the appropriate maturity to handle senior enlisted priorities. They also need strong communication and networking skills to build relationships with the senior enlisted personnel in Hawaii.
Qualifying candidates submit a packet consisting of evaluations, fitness reports, a military biography, and a list of tours to give the review board a sense of their career.
“Essentially, they look at all the CMDCMs who are competitive and have the right qualifications for certain flag officer jobs, and they board them out to who is the top two, and if the MCPON [Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy] approves that slate, only the top two would move on to an interview,” explained Mullenhour. The top two interview with Rear Adm. Barnett and he selects the most qualified candidate.
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Newsom planned to join the Navy after he graduated high school as an undesignated Seaman. He was inspired to enlist by his uncle, a retired Boiler Tech Master Chief who “had a strong mind and a soft heart,” and demonstrated a commitment to service and passion for the Sailors he worked alongside.
Newsom’s younger brother is also in the Navy, serving as a Master-at-Arms aboard the USS America (LHA 6).
After graduating in 2001, Newsom reported for duty aboard the USS Ticonderoga (CG 47) as an undesignated Seaman where he earned his Surface Warfare Specialist qualification and a Battle “E” award. He went on to complete two South America deployments and advanced to Storekeeper Second Class. During his first year of naval service, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, fueled Newsom’s renewed commitment to serve.
Newsom is proud of the efforts that he contributed to during his time as JBPHH CMDCM that benefitted the Navy community. He pointed to quality-of-life improvements for Navy service members living in Wahiawa including a 24/7-access minimart with self-checkout and a main gate renovation of West Loch Annex.
Newsom is eager to support the CNRH mission and to continue his personal mission of making a positive impact on the lives of others.
“I’m looking forward to building on the strong foundation CMDCM Mullenhour has built,” he said. “Making sure we take care of the organization and take care of the people within the organization, meaning the service members, civilians and their families.”
| Date Taken: | 03.03.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.03.2025 13:09 |
| Story ID: | 491903 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US |
| Hometown: | MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, US |
| Web Views: | 102 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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