"I expect you and every member of your Mess to exercise the leadership and professionalism that we are entrusted with each and every day; hence CPO 365. We each know the difference between right and wrong and will be held accountable. I have the utmost confidence in our ability as a Mess to continue to build upon the legacy of success forged by all that have worn anchors. HOOYAH CHIEFS, ANCHOR UP!"
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Rick West
MCPON's 2011 CPO 365/Induction Guidance (ANCHOR UP!)
**Anchor Up** introduced in September 2007 in my USNI PROCEEDINGS article.
9 comments:
On SailorBob they are reporting that CPO induction was halted by a FORCE MCPO for 'incidents'.
Induction ‘Pause’ Not Misconduct-Driven
West Says Process Is ‘Not On Hold’
(NAVY TIMES 29 AUG 11) ... Mark D. Faram
The Navy's top master chief has asked deck-plate leaders for a "brief pause" in this year's chief induction process to assess how the sessions are going and where the process needs to go over the next 30 days.
The call for a pause by Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (SS/SW) Rick West comes amid Internet-based rumors involving alleged misconduct during induction events, but West denies that the two are connected.
He sent an email to top master chiefs Aug. 18 to quash the rumors and set the record straight.
'There has been some recent discussion through email and on social media about the status of induction," West wrote to his "leadership mess," made up of fleet and force master chiefs as well as some senior command master chiefs.
"Let me be clear," he wrote. "Induction is NOT ON HOLD."
Instead, he said the reason for the "pause" was to give this year's 3,500 selectees a one-day break from induction and to allow chiefs' messes to evaluate their training so far and plan for the next month, leading up to the Sept. 16 pinning.
West insists it wasn't misconduct that led to his suggesting the pause. He shared his email messages with Navy Times.
"No specific induction event prompted the consideration of a brief pause," he told Navy Times Aug. 18. "It is beneficial in any training process to periodically assess progress and identify opportunities to improve."
Though he gave no specifics, he did confirm that a few incidents have been brought to his attention involving possible "divergence from induction guidance." He promised any allegations would be taken seriously and investigated.
Overall, West said he's pleased with how this year's induction season is progressing, and that "99.9 percent" of messes "are doing things right."
Rumors that induction had been shut down began when West wrote an email to the four fleet master chiefs Aug. 16 — exactly one month before scheduled pinning ceremonies will occur Navy-wide.
West didn't mandate the pause, leaving that decision to the fleet master chiefs in his email. According to the email exchange provided by West, Fleet Master Chief (AW/NAC) Mike Stevens forwarded West's email to his force and command master chiefs that same day, adding his endorsement and instructions for those under Fleet Forces Command.
"In the past, we typically have taken a strategic pause as a result of something happening," Stevens wrote. "This year, to be proactive I would like each of you to direct your messes to conduct a one-day pause."
I'm not sure that I get this 24/7/365 thing. Forgive me for showing my ignorance but I thought that development of young Sailors for future leadership as old CPOs started when a young Sailor earned the privilege to wear a Navy uniform. I didn't realize that this so called mentorship started after failure of selection.
Then again, my chiefs always practiced intrusive leadership and didn't stow that hat after a day's work.
Based on what I see at the Navy Exchange on a somewhat irregular basis, someone wearing a uniform needs to take a round turn on what "appropriate civilian attire" means.
Maybe they should just cancel this whole induction nonsense and send them to a "CPO academy."
There I said it and am now standing by for state 5 seas.
Warrant, right on! Leadership has slowly been chipping away at the time-proven process of building Chiefs, shifting headlong toward a classroom setting. Using unit SITREPs as an indicator, it appears something critical has been lost.
Captain Lambert,
You originated the use of the term “Anchor Up, Chiefs” and the MCPO of the Navy has latched on to this and it would appear that he and his induction to Chief program is using this as a motto. I am in the process of trying to digest this CPO 365 Induction Document and it is quite a long drawn out piece of work, which would appear to be the layout of CPO elementary school. The time has come in the Navy that new Chiefs, or as CPO 365 refers to them Prospective Chiefs must receive extensive training to assume that CPO status. This entire fiasco that has been perpetrated by a political appointee is almost a disgrace to Navy Chiefs. It is no surprise that the program is not advancing the way it was commanded to do.
We as Chiefs did not get to be Chief overnight, as I recall it was training from the first day I hit Boot Camp and this Chief commenced to tell me what was expected of me as a Sailor and a Boot. That process continued on every duty station or ship that I served on for the next 10 years. It never ceased to amaze me how the Chief was the one with the answers about everything, leadership, equipment maintenance and repair, proper conduct, military bearing and even the best liberty spots. The Chief taught us how to be an LPO, when we gained that status, and a leader of the rest of our division since we were now his selected leader of his division.
We had correspondence courses that gave us the basics of leadership, and these things only supplemented what the Chief gave us in what he required of us as leaders, Sailors and Shipmates. Who knows what has happened to make elementary school for Chiefs a necessary thing. I always felt the old Chiefs had left the Navy in good shape for those that would follow, Chiefs had been doing that since 1793, and to my knowledge there was never a school for Chiefs.
Very Respectfully,
Navyman834
A few lines from my May 2004 retirement speech:
"Making Chief was as honorable as any promotion I earned. The Chief is the glue that keeps the Navy together. Don’t think otherwise. Don’t’ forget it.
When I was a seaman the Chief kept me in line. Chief Jerry Lee. He saw something in me that I didn’t and pushed me, and pushed me, and pushed me until I did. He handed me this memo dated 5 Oct 76 when I was a seaman sitting the line in Rota Spain. It reads: you have a sailor of the quarter interview at bldg 8 conference room at 0930, 13 Oct 76. Uniform will be service dress blues. Signed, Chief Lee. I wasn’t selected for SOQ. Chief Lee told me not to sweat it. You don’t need it he said. I guess he was right.
When I was a Chief my fellow Chiefs kept me in line. I’ve been given responsibilities commensurate with my promotions and assignments but none as rewarding as that of Leading Chief for 1st Division on USS DEYO. Yes, as a boot Chief I was put in charge of the bos’n mates and non-rated seaman. That was the most humbling six months of my career. It was also the best six months of my career. It is where I learned how to be fair and firm. This is where the “Goat Locker” honed my leadership skills for me. 1st division on DEYO had some of the finest Sailors I’ve ever served with. Chief’s initiation does matter.
And even as an officer the Chief’s kept me in line. There are only a few that could do that and you know who you are. You are the Chief’s that I know will ensure that the seaman and petty officers have the same kind of Chief’s that I did. You are the Chief’s that I know will keep the Officer’s in line."
A brief pause? Real Chief's DO NOT PAUSE! WTF? Someone please help me understand this pausing thing.
LCDRLDO/6440
I can remember almost every Chief Petty Officer that kept me on track starting with BMC Scripko (yes - the venerable Recruit Company Commander that ruled every day life in Company 081 in San Diego way back in 1977) to the very last one that I had the pleasure of working with during 29 years in uniform. Now don't ask me to remember Division Officers or Department Heads from my enlisted days - other than those that I supported as a CPO/SCPO.
In my opinion this is a buch of B/S. I have been in for 12 years now, I have observed the Navy go down the drain with this corporate idealism. A first class petty officer should be ready to become a chief if selected. The main focus of the CPO 365 is PT and getting people in shape and for them to lose weight. The focus has not been on leadership or training.
At these forced PT sessions, that do not take into consideration the shift workers, they countinue to brag that one CPO select lost over 40 pounds in the induction phase.
The fidst thing that comes to my mind is, how in the holy heck does someone that has 40 pounds to lose get selected for CPO in the first place. If you have 40 pounds to lose durring Inductrination, you were more than likely out of standards when you were selected.
I obviously do not know how the selection system works but, it seems to be broken and untrustworthy.
This CPO 365 takes all initiative away, just like the warfare pins. If you make everything mandatory, it makes it impossible for people to stand out.
As we near 1 April, April Fools Day we will mourn the passing of the Navy Chief. 2012 was the Year of the Chief. I think it was prescient of the demise of the Chief. Navy Chiefs are no more. We have joined the other services and only have E-7/8/9/10. Navy CPO - R.I.P.
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