The United States Navy Chief Petty Officer ~ Established April 1, 1893
On Sunday, April 1, the United States Navy will celebrate the 125th birthday of the Chief Petty Officer (CPO) rank. The CPO is a senior enlisted, non-commissioned officer (NCO) at the pay grades of E-7 (Chief Petty Officer), E-8 (Senior Chief Petty Officer) and E-9 (Master Chief Petty Officer). Typically, these sailors have been in the Navy for at least twelve years, although some hard-charging sailors can reach this rank in as little as nine or ten years. CPO’s are, in essence, the middle managers of the Navy. While commissioned officers are in charge of the department, ship or shore station, and are ultimately accountable for the performance of the entire unit, the Navy Chief is in charge of getting the work done through the junior enlisted sailors. Also, CPO’s often train junior officers, especially when they first report for duty on their first ship. Although newly commissioned officers have a newly received college degree, they are unfamiliar with the workings of a Naval ship or submarine, as well as the tasks of the department or crew their assigned to.
Although the pay grades of E-7 through E-9 are equivalent to those of other services, the Navy is unique in that it confers much more authority and responsibility on the Chief, while demanding more performance and results than any of the other services. Advancement into the CPO grades is the most significant promotion within the enlisted Naval ranks. Typically, when a Petty Officer First Class and lower ranks go up for advancement, they are promoted based on an advancement examination score. However, when a Sailor makes “Chief,” the candidate must pass the written examination, be selected by a special board made up of Senior and Master Chief Petty Officers, and Commissioned Officers, and then the selectee is “Appointed” by the Bureau of Naval Personnel, and “initiated” into the ranks of the Chief Petty Officers.
A Chief Petty Officer, no matter how much he was on a “first name” basis with other petty officers before promotion, is always addressed as “Chief” by subordinates and superiors. When a sailor has a problem, or is in a crisis situation, he or she goes to “Ask The Chief.” CPO’s often are the instrument of swift decision, and are always relied on to get things done; visible leaders who set the tone. And, they are generally charged with keeping good order and discipline within the lower enlisted ranks.
CPO’s provide leadership to the enlisted force and advice to Navy leadership to create combat-ready Naval Forces. They are the senior enlisted force that serves first and foremost as deckplate leaders committed to developing sailors and enforcing standards. The term “deckplate leaders” is a slang, everyday Navy term referring to the Chief Petty Officer’s leadership. In naval terminology, the deckplate can roughly refer to the deck (“flooring”), or the area of the deck of a ship or submarine. Admiral Mike Mullen, the former Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) (2005 to 2007) and former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) (2007 to 2011), stressed the importance of deckplate leadership in a podcasted message to the Navy’s newest Chief Petty Officers in the fall of 2007 when he said, “You can’t be a Chief from behind a computer screen or in an email or even on the phone. You’ve got to be there, out on the deckplates with your people and their families. You’ve got to walk the spaces. It’s the first principle of naval leadership.”
In an interview for All Hands magazine’s Update for the Pentagon Channel (March 26, 2012), former Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON), John L. Herdt (Ret.) (the ninth MCPON — 1998 to 2002) spoke of the responsibilities of being a Chief, and of being a leader, saying, “As a Chief Petty Officer, there is never a day, when you put on that uniform, that you don’t have the ability to swing your legs out of the rack, put your feet on the deck, and go make a positive difference in a sailor’s life. You can do that every day for your entire career. Whether or not you choose to do it is going to determine whether or not you’re a good Chief, or just a Chief.”
Navy Chiefs have their own creed and their own fraternity, and their profession is filled with tradition dating back 125 years. Active duty and retired alike, Navy Chiefs are the ones who have set the example and “make it happen” in the Navy. They are bound and dedicated to their duty as leaders forever. Tested ~ Selected ~ Initiated. Happy birthday to ALL Navy Chiefs!!!
United States Navy Chief Petty Officer Creed
During the course of this day you have been caused to humbly accept challenge and face adversity. This you have accomplished with rare good grace. Pointless as some of these challenges may have seemed, there were valid, time-honored reasons behind each pointed barb. It was necessary to meet these hurdles with blind faith in the fellowship of Chief Petty Officers. The goal was to instill in you that trust is inherent with the donning of the uniform of a Chief. It was our intent to impress upon you that challenge is good; a great and necessary reality which cannot mar you — which, in fact, strengthens you. In your future as a Chief Petty Officer., you will be forced to endure adversity far beyond that imposed upon you today. You must face each challenge and adversity with the same dignity and good grace you demonstrated today. By experience, by performance, and by testing, you have been this day advanced to Chief Petty Officer. In the United States Navy — and only in the United States Navy — the rank of E7 carries with it unique responsibilities and privileges you are now bound to observe and expected to fulfill. Your entire way of life is now changed. More will be expected of you; more will be demanded of you. Not because you are a E7 but because you are now a Chief Petty Officer. You have not merely been promoted one paygrade, you have joined an exclusive fellowship and, as in all fellowships, you have a special responsibility to your comrades, even as they have a special responsibility to you. This is why we in the United States Navy may maintain with pride our feelings of accomplishment once we have attained the position of Chief Petty Officer. Your new responsibilities and privileges do not appear in print. They have no official standing; they cannot be referred to by name, number, nor file. They have existed for over 100 years, Chiefs before you have freely accepted responsibility beyond the call of printed assignment. Their actions and their performance demanded the respect of their seniors as well as their juniors. It is now required that you be the fountain of wisdom, the ambassador of good will, the authority in personal relations as well as in technical applications. “Ask the Chief” is a household phrase in and out of the Navy. You are now the Chief. The exalted position you have now achieved — and the word exalted is used advisedly — exists because of the attitude and performance of the Chiefs before you. It shall exist only as long as you and your fellow Chiefs maintain these standards. It was our intention that you never forget this day. It was our intention to test you, to try you, and to accept you. Your performance has assured us that you will wear “the hat” with the same pride as your comrades in arms before you. We take a deep and sincere pleasure in clasping your hand, and accepting you as a Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy.
Related Content:
125th Chief Petty Officer Birthday Ceremony
Chief Petty Officer 125th — Naval History and Heritage Command
MCPON Steven Giordano’s 125th CPO Birthday Message to Mess
MCPON’s Message to the Mess: It’s in the Creed
Chief Petty Officer — Naval History and Heritage Command
Silent Professionals: History of the Rank of Chief Petty Officer
MCPON dishes new guidance to all CPOs
US Navy Chiefs Celebrate Their 125th Birthday
The U.S. Navy’s ‘Year of the Chief’ Kicks Off (via my leadership blog, Command Performance Leadership, posted on April 3, 2012)
Sources:
Hagan, John, and J. F. Leahy. The Chief Petty Officer’s Guide. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute, 2004. Print.
The U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer — Gonzo’s Garage (The CPO Page) — http://www.gonzosgarage.net/gonavy/about_cpos.htm
The Goat Locker (Chief Petty Officer) — http://www.goatlocker.org/cpo.html
The Goat Locker (Chief Petty Officer Resource Links) — http://www.goatlocker.org/cpo-resources.html
Congrats, Chief! Anchors Pinned Worldwide - Navy Times — By Mark D. Faram (staff writer) — Posted Friday, September 21, 2007 (link to online article no longer available)
Navy Memorial Spotlights Year of the Chief — All Hands Update Mar. 26, 2012 #3 — U.S. Navy — Posted March 26, 2012 — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1_6jsFX_w4
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This article was adapted from a post written by Dale R. Wilson on his blog, Command Performance leadership, March 30, 2012: The United States Navy Chief Petty Officer ~ Established April 1, 1893. It has been edited and revised for publication today.
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Dale R. Wilson is a business and operations management professional with over 26-years experience managing service and distribution companies. He is a veteran of the United States Navy, serving from 1986 to 1994. He hosts the Command Performance Leadership blog, which discusses the synergies between military and corporate leadership competencies, and ties experience and knowledge from military leadership to its application in a corporate environment. He is also a proud member of the Military Writers Guild. You can follow him on Twitter @5StarLeadership.
