CPO Birthday

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CPO Birthday
01 April 2011 118 Years of Leadership
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118 Years of Leadership

• FM CNO Admiral Frank B Kelso II on April 1, 1993
• In the United States Navy, the title "Chief
  Petty Officer" carries with it responsibilities
  and privileges no other armed force in the world
  grants enlisted people. These responsibilities
  and privileges exist because for 100 years,
  Chiefs have routinely sought out greater
  challenges and assumed more responsibility.

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118 Years of Leadership

• FM CNO Admiral Frank B Kelso II on April 1, 1993
• The example set by Chiefs for the last century
  inspires our young men and women of today. Indeed
  what Americans see in our impressive young
  Sailors is the tradition of devotion and
  dedication the first Chiefs established with
  their sacrifices and valor.

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118 Years of Leadership

• FM CNO Admiral Frank B Kelso II on April 1, 1993
• In large measure they have not only ensured my
  success, but the success of every person who has
  served in our Navy. I encourage each of you to
  mark this significant anniversary with
  appropriate ceremonies to show our respect,
  admiration, and appreciation for those who have
  served our Navy as Chief Petty Officers.

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118 Years of Leadership

• FM CNO Admiral Frank B Kelso II on April 1, 1993
• Their successors, today's Chief Petty Officers,
  are no less dedicated. They prove their worth
  every day and continue to meet great challenges
  and endure adversity to protect our nation's
  interests.

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118 Years of Leadership

• FM CNO Admiral Frank B Kelso II on April 1, 1993
• Our challenge to Chief Petty Officers of the
  21st Century is to reaffirm the commitment to
  faith and fellowship that have allowed their
  comrades-in-arms before them to wear "the hat"
  with tremendous pride.

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The First CHIEF
The Continental Navy established the foundation
of relative grades and classifications that led
to the ultimate establishment of the CPO grade

• During the Revolutionary War, Jacob Wasbie, a
  Cook's Mate serving on board the Alfred, one of
  the first Continental Navy warships, was promoted
  to "Chief Cook" On June 1, 1776.
• Chief Cook is construed to mean Cook or Ship's
  Cook which was the official rating title at that
  time. This is the earliest example of the use the
  term "Chief" located to date by the author.

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The Most Senior Rate?

• As one can determine from the foregoing
  evidence, Boatswain's Mates have not always been
  the senior rating in the Navy. However, if one
  tries to enlighten some of them they will usually
  get their danders up and argue until red in the
  face. Likewise, Aviation Machinist's Mates have
  not always been the senior rating within the
  Aviation Branch. From 1924 to 1933, and again
  from 1942 to 1948, the rating of Aviation Pilot
  topped the mechs as well as all other aviation
  ratings.

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The Most Senior Rate?

• Navy Regulations of 1865, 1870, and 1876
  fail to show Chief Boatswain's Mate and Chief
  Gunner's Mate as different rates or levels from
  Boatswain's Mate and Gunner's Mate respectively.
  It therefore follows that to justify calling the
  Chief Boatswain's Mate and the Chief Gunner's
  Mate additional rates one has to depend upon
  General Order 36 of May 16, 1864 (effective July
  1, 1864), and Tables of Allowances for the 1870s
  which list them as rates or ratings along with
  Boatswain's Mate and Gunner's Mate. To answer the
  question of whether the Chief Boatswain's Mate,
  Chief Gunner's Mate, and Chief Quartermaster or
  Signal Quartermaster of the 1863-93 era were or
  were not actually Chief Petty Officers is
  elementary. They were not Chief Petty Officers
  due to the fact that the grade had not yet been
  created.

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The Most Senior Rate?

• On January 1, 1884, when the new pay rates
  became effective, there existed the three
  aforementioned rates carrying the word
  Chief--Boatswain's Mate, Gunner's Mate, and
  Quartermaster--all paid 35.00 per month. Several
  other rates were paid higher amounts, ranging
  from 40.00 to 70.00 per month.

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General Order 409
On March 13, 1893, U.S. Navy Regulation Circular
No. 1 established the classification of Chief
Petty Officer. Initially, only eight ratings were
included in the chief petty officer
classification.
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The Most Senior Rate?

• On April 1, 1893, two important steps were
  taken. First, the grade of Chief Petty Officer
  was established secondly, most enlisted men
  received a pay raise. The question is often
  asked, "Who was the first Chief Petty Officer?"
  The answer is flatly "There was no first Chief
  Petty Officer due to the fact that nearly all
  ratings carried as Petty Officers First Class
  from 1885 were automatically shifted to the Chief
  Petty Officer level." Exceptions were
  Schoolmasters, who stayed at first class Ship's
  Writers, who stayed the same but expanded to
  include second and third class and Carpenter's
  Mates, who had been carried as second class petty
  officers but were extended to include chief,
  first, second, and third classes. Therefore, the
  Chief Petty Officer grade on April 1, 1893,
  encompassed the nine rates shown in Table 2.

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CPO Ratings as of April 1, 1893
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Senior Master Chief...

• The pay grades of E-8 and E-9, Senior
  Chief and Master Chief, were created effective
  June 1, 1958, under a 1958 Amendment to the
  Career Compensation Act of 1949. Eligibility for
  promotion to E-8, the Senior Chief level, was
  restricted to Chiefs (Permanent Appointment) with
  a minimum of four years in grade and a total of
  ten years of service. For elevation from E- 7 to
  Master Chief, E-9, a minimum of six years service
  as a Chief Petty Officer with a total of 13 years
  service was required. The E-5 through E-9 levels
  included all ratings except Teleman and Printer
  which at the time were being phased out of the
  naval rating structure. People holding those
  ratings were absorbed or converted to Yeoman or
  Radioman from Teleman and primarily to
  Lithographer from Printer. Service-wide
  examinations for outstanding Chiefs were held on
  August 5, 1958, with the first promotions
  becoming effective on November 16, 1958. A few
  months later, a second group of Chiefs from the
  February 1959 examinations were elevated to E-8
  and E-9 effective on May 16, 1959. The names of
  the first two groups of selectees are listed in
  Bureau of Naval Personnel Notices 1430 of October
  17, 1958, and May 20, 1959. It is noted that
  after the May 1959 elevations, promotions to E-9
  were through Senior Chief only.

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Compression of Rates

• On July 1, 1965, compression of several
  ratings at the two top grades was enforced. Six
  new rating titles were created

• Master Chief Steam Propulsion man
• Master Chief Aircraft Maintenance man
• Master Chief Avionics Technician
• Master Chief Precision Instrument man
• Master Chief Construction man
• Master Chief Equipment man

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Chief Petty Officer Cap Device
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CPO Medal of Honor Recipients

• Spanish American War 1898
• Bennett, James H., Chief Boatswain's Mate, USS
  Marblehead, Cienfuegos, Cuba, 11 May 1898
• Brady, George F., Chief Gunner's Mate, USS
  Winslow, Cardenas, Cuba, 11 May 1898
• Cooney, Thomas C., Chief Machinist, USS Winslow,
  Cardenas, Cuba, 11 May 1898
• Itrich, Franz A., Chief Carpenter's Mate, USS
  Petrel, Manila, P.I., 1 May 1898
• Johnsen, Hans, Chief Machinist, USS Winslow,
  Cardenas, Cuba, 11 May 1898
• Montague, Daniel, Chief Master-at-Arms, USS
  Merrimac, Santiago de Cuba, 2 Jun 1898
• Sunquist, Axel, Chief Carpenter's Mate, USS
  Marblehead, Cienfuegos, Cuba, 11 May 1898

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CPO Medal of Honor Recipients

• 1899
• Shanahan, Patrick, Chief Boatswain's Mate, USS
  Alliance, 28 May 1899
• Stokes, John, Chief Master-at-Arms, USS New York,
  off Jamaica, 31 Mar 1899
• Boxer Rebellion 1900
• Clancy, Joseph, Chief Boatswain's Mate, 13, 20,
  21, and 22 Jun 1900
• Hamberger, William F., Chief Carpenter's Mate,
  13, 20, 21, and 22 Jun 1900
• Petersen, Carl E., Chief Machinist, Peking,
  China, 28 Jun to 17 Aug 1900

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CPO Medal of Honor Recipients

• 1903-1910
• Bonney, Robert Earl, Chief Watertender, USS
  Hopkins, 14 Feb 1910
• Clausey, John J., Chief Gunner's Mate, USS
  Bennington, 21 Jul 1905
• Cox, Robert E., Chief Gunner's Mate, USS
  Missouri, 13 Apr 1904
• Holtz, Aug, Chief Watertender, USS North Dakota,
  8 Sep 1910
• Johannessen, Johannes J., Chief Watertender, USS
  Iowa, 25 Jan 1905
• Klein, Robert, Chief Carpenter's Mate, USS
  Raleigh, 25 Jan 1904
• Monssen, Mons, Chief Gunner's Mate, USS Missouri,
  13 Apr 1904
• Reid, Patrick, Chief Watertender, USS North
  Dakota, 8 Sep 1910
• Shacklette, William S., Hospital Steward, USS
  Bennington, 21 Jul 1905
• Snyder, William E., Chief Electrician, USS
  Birmingham, 4 Jan 1910
• Stanton, Thomas, Chief Machinist's Mate, USS
  North Dakota, 8 Sep 1910
• Walsh, Michael, Chief Machinist, USS Leyden, 21
  Jan 1903
• Westa, Karl, Chief Machinist's Mate, USS North
  Dakota, 8 Sep 1910

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CPO Medal of Honor Recipients

• Vera Cruz 1914
• Bradley, George, Chief Gunner's Mate, USS Utah,
  Vera Cruz, 1914
• 1915-1916
• Crilley, Frank W., Chief Gunner's Mate, Honolulu,
  T.H., 17 Apr 1915
• Rud, George W., Chief Machinist's Mate, USS
  Memphis, Santo Domingo, 29 Aug 1916
• Smith, Eugene P., Chief Watertender, USS Decatur,
  9 Sep 1915
• World War I
• MacKenzie, John, Chief Boatswain's Mate, USS
  Remlik, 17 Dec 1917
• Ormsbee, Francis E., JR., Chief Machinist's Mate,
  NAS Pensacola, FL, 25 Sep 1918
• Schmidt, Oscar, JR., Chief Gunner's Mate, USS
  Chestnut Hill, 9 Oct 1918.

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CPO Medal of Honor Recipients

• 1927-1939
• Badders, William, Chief Machinist's Mate, USS
  Squalus, 13 May 1939
• Crandall, Orson L., Chief Boatswain's Mate, USS
  Squalus, 13 May 1939
• Eadie, Thomas, Chief Gunner's Mate, off
  Provincetown, Mass., 18 Dec 1927
• McDonald, James H., Chief Metalsmith, USS
  Squalus, 23 May 1939
• World War II
• Finn, John W., then a Chief Petty Officer, NAS
  Kaneohe Bay, TH., 7 Dec 1941
• Peterson, Oscar V., Chief Watertender, USS
  Neosho, 7 May 1942
• Tomich, Peter, Chief Watertender, USS Utah, 7
  Dec 1941

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MCPONs

• Though in the works for many years, the
  position formally was established as "Senior
  Enlisted Advisor of the Navy" in January 1967.
  Its title officially was changed to "Master Chief
  Petty Officer of the Navy" three months later.
  The individual rating specialty marks for the
  MCPON was replaced by an inverted star in 1971.
• These individuals have served as Master
  Chief Petty Officer of the Navy

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MCPONs
1) MCPON Delbert D. Black, USN 13Jan67 -
01Apr71 2) MCPON (NAC/CAC) John "Jack" Whittet,
USN 01Apr71 - 25Sep75 3) MCPON Robert Walker,
USN 25Sep75 - 28 Sep79 4) MCPON (NAC) Thomas S.
Crow, USN 28Sep79 - 01 Oct82 5) MCPON (NAC)
Billy C. Sanders, USN 01Oct82 - 04Oct85 6) MCPON
(SW) William H. Plackett, USN 04Oct85 - 09Sep88
7) MCPON (AW/NAC) Duane R. Bushey, USN 09Se88 -
28Aug92 8) MCPON (SW/PJ) John Hagan, USN 28Aug92
- 27Mar98 9) MCPON (SS/SW/AW) James L.Herdt 27
Mar. 1998 2002 10) MCPON (SS/AW) Terry Scott
2002 10 Jul 06 11) MCPON (SW/FMF) Joe R. Campa
Jr 10 Jul 06 08 Dec 12 12) MCPON (SS/SW) Rick
West 10 Dec 12 - Present
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Admiral Halsey

• The following is a true story told to
  ATCS(AC) Jack Reese USN Retired by his uncle,
  John Reese.
• AT the end of World War II, all the towns
  and cities across the country were looking for a
  Home town boy makes good person to celebrate
  the victory with. Los Angeles chose Admiral
  Halsey, whom it was rumored had done quite well.
  The ceremony was held on the steps of the LA
  county courthouse, and at the end of it when
  Halsey was leaving, they had a line of side-boys.

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Admiral Halsey (Cont)

• They were active duty and retired Chief
  Petty Officers that had been brought in from all
  over the country. As he walked through the ranks,
  my uncle walked apace on the outside. As Halsey
  approached one old CPO that my uncle described as
  being older than God, my uncle saw them wink at
  each other.
• Later, at a cocktail party, my uncle had the
  opportunity to have a chat with the great
  Admiral. He commented on the wink between Halsey
  and this old Chief, and asked Halsey if he would
  mind explaining it.

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Admiral Halsey (Cont)

• Halsey looked at my uncle very seriously,
  and said this " That man was my Chief when I was
  an Ensign, and no one before or after taught me
  as much about ships or men as he did. You
  civilians dont understand. You go down to Long
  Beach, and you see those battleships sitting
  there, and you think that they float on the
  water, dont you? My uncle replied, Yes sir, I
  guess they do. You are wrong, replied Halsey
  they are carried to sea on the backs of those
  Chief Petty Officers!
• ATCS(AC) Jack Reese USN Retired says "For
  all of my uncles fame and money, he thought I had
  the best job and position in the world. I think
  he was right!!"

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CPO Coin History

• Leisure time in Vietnam was a commodity,
  but when it came it was utilized to the max
  catching up on sleep, writing letters home, or
  letting off steam at the hootch bar. The latter
  proved to be the most popular. But eventually, it
  too, could become boring and mundane.
• To heighten excitement and foster unit
  esprit de corps, bullet clubs were formed. These
  were comprised of small, elite front line
  fighters who each carried a personalized bullet
  from the weapon they carried in combat. The
  ultimate use of the bullet, usually carried in a
  hip pocket, was to deny the enemy personal
  capture.

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CPO Coin History

• When an individual entered the hootch bar
  he would be challenged by fellow team members to
  produce his bullet. If he did, the challengers
  would pay his bar tab for the rest of the
  evening. If he failed to produce his bullet, he
  bought drinks for the remainder of the night.
• Eventually, personalized bullets took on
  disbelieving proportions. Some "teamies" took to
  carrying 20-, 40-, or even 150MM cannon shells.
  Clearly these were not personalized, coup de
  grace munitions, but rather manifestations of
  perceived individual prowess in combat or perhaps
  on R R.

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CPO Coin History

• At the height of the bullet club's heyday,
  it was not an uncommon sight to see strewn across
  a barroom table, a very respectable
  representation of the full range of bullets,
  rockets, cannon and artillery shells used in
  Southeast Asia.
• In order to gain control of the situation
  and to avoid accidental discharge of the large,
  fully functional munitions, bullets were traded
  for coins, which reflected the units symbol and
  pride. A controlled number and/or the
  individual's name personalized each coin. The
  rules remained the same, although today they are
  greatly expanded.

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CPO Coin History

• Loss of your coin was, and remains,
  tantamount to eternal disgrace and banishment. To
  forget your coin, in anticipation of a challenge,
  results in minor death.
• Emerging from those small, elite groups
  using bullets are today's coin challengers. Known
  to strike anywhere, at anytime, they insidiously
  stalk, waiting for the right moment to attack. An
  innocent bystander may never hear the challenge,
  only the challengee's despairing cry, "OH I
  FORGOT MINE!!!"

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CPO Coin Challenge Rules

1. Rules of the coin game must be given or explained
   to all new coin holders.  
2. The coin MUST be carried at all times. You can be
   challenged for it anywhere, at any time. You must
   produce the coin without taking more than 4 steps
   to produce it.  
3. When challenging, the challenger must state
   whether it is for a single drink or a round of
   drinks.  

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CPO Coin Challenge Rules

1. Failure to produce a coin, for whatever reason,
   results in a bought round or single drinks
   (whatever the challenger stated). Once the
   offender (coinless challengee) has bought the
   drink or round, they can't be challenged again.  
   
2. If all that are challenged produce their coins,
   the challenger loses and must buy the drinks for
   all respondents. This too can be expensive, so
   challenge wisely.  

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CPO Coin Challenge Rules

1. Under no circumstances can a coin be handed to
   another in response to a challenge. If a person
   gives their coin to another, that person can now
   keep the coin -- it's theirs!!! However, if a
   person places the coin down and another person
   picks it up to examine it, that is not considered
   giving and the examiner is honor-bound to place
   the coin back where they got it. The examiner
   can't challenge while they hold another's coin.
   After negotiating a "reasonable" ransom", the
   examiner must return the member's coin.  

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CPO Coin Challenge Rules

1. If a coin is lost, replacement is up to the
   individual. A new coin should be acquired at the
   earliest opportunity -- losing a coin and not
   replacing it doesn't relieve a member of his or
   her responsibilities. This is especially true if
   your fellow CPO's know that you traditionally
   carry a coin.  

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CPO Coin Challenge Rules

1. The coin should be controlled at all times.
   Giving a coin to just anyone is like opening a
   fraternity to just anyone. It is an honor to be
   given a coin, let's keep it that way. A given or
   awarded coin is of more personal value than a
   purchased coin.  
2. No holes may be drilled in a coin.  
3. The above rules apply to anyone who is worthy to
   be given/awarded a coin, has a purchased coin, or
   who is known to be a previous coin holder. 

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THE CHIEF PETTY OFFICER'S PLEDGE

• I AM A CHIEF PETTY OFFICER IN THE UNITED STATES
  NAVY...
• I SERVE MY COUNTRY AND HER PEOPLE WITH PRIDE AND
  HONOR.
• I SEEK NO SPECIAL FAVORS.
• I MAKE THINGS HAPPEN, AND DO THE BEST I CAN DO.
• I AM CHARGED WITH A LEADERSHIP ROLE LIKE NO
  OTHER IN THE WORLD.
• I DEVELOP JUNIOR OFFICERS AND MOLD MY SAILORS.
• I ACKNOWLEDGE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACTIONS
  OF MY SAILORS

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THE CHIEF PETTY OFFICER'S PLEDGE

• BECAUSE THESE SAILORS ARE THE SEEDS OF FUTURE
  CHIEF PETTY OFFICERS.
• I LIVE BY THE NAVY'S CORE VALUES OF HONOR,
  COURAGE AND COMMITMENT.
• I SET THE EXAMPLE.
• I ESTABLISH THE STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE.
• MY SAILORS ARE STUDENTS AND I AM THEIR TEACHER.
• I GUIDE AND INFLUENCE THE LIVES OF THESE YOUNG
  MEN AND WOMEN.

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THE CHIEF PETTY OFFICER'S PLEDGE

• IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, I WILL DETERMINE THE
  QUALITY OF THESE SAILORS.
• THEY LOOK UP TO ME BECAUSE I TREAT THEM WITH
  DIGNITY AND RESPECT.
• BECAUSE THEY NEED A LEADER, I AM THERE FOR THEM.
• AFTER ALL...
• I AM A CHIEF PETTY OFFICER IN THE UNITED STATES
  NAVY...
• NAVY CHIEFNAVY PRIDE!
• 
  

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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..
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• "I can imagine no more rewarding career. And any
  man who may be asked in this century what he did
  to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond
  with a good deal of pride and satisfaction 'I
  served in the United States Navy.'
• President John F. Kennedy,
• 1 August 1963, in Bancroft Hall at the U. S.
  Naval Academy.

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Chiefs will use heritage to connect Sailors to
their past, teach values and enhance pride in
service to our country.

By RPC (SW/SCW) Patrick Mondragon