Musings, leadership tidbits and quotes posted by a retired Navy Captain (really just a high performing 2nd Class Petty Officer) who hung up his uniform a bit too early. He still wears his Navy service on his sleeve. He needs to get over that. "ADVANCE WARNING - NO ORIGINAL THOUGHT!" A "self-appointed" lead EVANGELIST for the "cryptologic community". Keeping CRYPTOLOGY alive-one day and Sailor at a time. 2015 is 80th Anniversary of the Naval Security Group.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Congratulations new Chief Petty Officers
Today you have become "THE CHIEF". We salute you !!
Perhaps my story is like many others; but it wasn't the training, nor the challenge of completing seemingly ridiculous tasks handed down by a constantly irritated Mess, nor the night before our pinning which was filled with its own special memories, nor the day of as my parents stood beside me pinning my anchors on, no it was none of those moments that made me realized that I "was" the Chief. Rather, it was a crisp morning a few days later as I was walking into PSD Pearl Harbor at Makalapa, when a young petty-officer stopped me to ask me directions to some location on base and she said three simple words that cemented it all for me. "Excuse me Chief...,” and at that moment I realized everything changed.
I realized that to any passer-by, I was and have always been a Chief. There was no moniker that informed sailors of my recent pinning, save the huge smile on my face. No, it was assumed that I had the answers. A truly humbling moment, one in which I will always cherish.
I was never an officer, but you evidently were a Chief and an Officer. When you can recall the events that you placed on this blog about how it made you feel to be first recognized as the Chief, and have been around long enough to be a LCDR it make me feel good about our Navy and its people. Thanks for being a true member of our Navy.
Congrats Chiefs! To this day, of all the promotions I was given by the USN, being selected for CPO is the one I am most proud of.
I have a little counterpoint to "11 Steps to LCDR" which also illustrates the esteem in which CPOs are held.
Back in 1991, I was stationed in Monterery, CA. The Navy, in its wisdom, had decided to give me a commission as an LDO. The day before my commissioning ceremony, I needed to do some paperwork at the Navy PG school's PSD. As soon as I walked in the door, the PN2 sitting at the front desk gave me a cheery "Good morning, Chief!", followed by the PNC immediately coming out of his office, earnestly asking me "How can I help you, Chief?", shaking my hand and dropping everything to help me out. Great stuff!
The commissioning ceremony the next day went very smoothly. Lots of good friends. It was a proud moment. After all the ceremony and congratulations were done, I decided, what the heck, I'll stop by the Navy PG school PSD to get my new ID card. I mean, everyone was so helpful before. They'll bend over backwards to assist this brand spanking new boot brown bar.
I walked into the same PSD front door. Same PN2 sitting at the front desk, same PNC sitting in his office in eyeshot of said same front door.
The PN2 barely looked up. The PNC didn't look up at all. The PN2 simply said, "Take a number, Ensign" and went back to some mundane task. I meekly took the number and sat down to "savor" my introduction to the ranks of "Ensigndom."
4 comments:
Perhaps my story is like many others; but it wasn't the training, nor the challenge of completing seemingly ridiculous tasks handed down by a constantly irritated Mess, nor the night before our pinning which was filled with its own special memories, nor the day of as my parents stood beside me pinning my anchors on, no it was none of those moments that made me realized that I "was" the Chief.
Rather, it was a crisp morning a few days later as I was walking into PSD Pearl Harbor at Makalapa, when a young petty-officer stopped me to ask me directions to some location on base and she said three simple words that cemented it all for me.
"Excuse me Chief...,” and at that moment I realized everything changed.
I realized that to any passer-by, I was and have always been a Chief. There was no moniker that informed sailors of my recent pinning, save the huge smile on my face. No, it was assumed that I had the answers. A truly humbling moment, one in which I will always cherish.
Congratulation to the Class of FY11.
There is no date of rate on those anchors.
11 Steps to LCDR,
I was never an officer, but you evidently were a Chief and an Officer. When you can recall the events that you placed on this blog about how it made you feel to be first recognized as the Chief, and have been around long enough to be a LCDR it make me feel good about our Navy and its people. Thanks for being a true member of our Navy.
Very Respectfully,
Navyman834
Congrats Chiefs! To this day, of all the promotions I was given by the USN, being selected for CPO is the one I am most proud of.
I have a little counterpoint to "11 Steps to LCDR" which also illustrates the esteem in which CPOs are held.
Back in 1991, I was stationed in Monterery, CA. The Navy, in its wisdom, had decided to give me a commission as an LDO. The day before my commissioning ceremony, I needed to do some paperwork at the Navy PG school's PSD. As soon as I walked in the door, the PN2 sitting at the front desk gave me a cheery "Good morning, Chief!", followed by the PNC immediately coming out of his office, earnestly asking me "How can I help you, Chief?", shaking my hand and dropping everything to help me out. Great stuff!
The commissioning ceremony the next day went very smoothly. Lots of good friends. It was a proud moment. After all the ceremony and congratulations were done, I decided, what the heck, I'll stop by the Navy PG school PSD to get my new ID card. I mean, everyone was so helpful before. They'll bend over backwards to assist this brand spanking new boot brown bar.
I walked into the same PSD front door. Same PN2 sitting at the front desk, same PNC sitting in his office in eyeshot of said same front door.
The PN2 barely looked up. The PNC didn't look up at all. The PN2 simply said, "Take a number, Ensign" and went back to some mundane task. I meekly took the number and sat down to "savor" my introduction to the ranks of "Ensigndom."
True story.
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