JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Service members from the Medical Education and Training
Campus and Navy Operational Support Center-San Antonio gathered at Joint Base
San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston with friends and family members to welcome the 24
newest chief petty officers during a pinning ceremony Sept. 16.
Advancing to chief petty officer is a milestone in a
Sailor’s career, especially at the Navy Medicine Training Support Center, the
Navy support element for METC, where the CPO core principles of training and
leadership are passed on to junior hospital corps instructors and students
alike.
“The word throughout the Navy is ‘ask the chief,’” said
retired Master Chief Petty Officer Don Mason, a Navy Cross recipient who spoke
at the ceremony. “Now you are the chief. Therefore, it is imperative that you
know your job. If you don’t know, find out. I will always be extremely grateful
to the Navy for teaching me skills and instilling in me the attributes that I
have spoken to you about today.”
After giving a brief history of some of his assignments and
experiences in the Korean War, Mason advised those in attendance that chiefs
must have leadership, dedication and professionalism.
Sailors spend their early career developing basic technical
and supervisory skills to prepare them for senior leadership roles. After being
selected for promotion to chief, they undergo an indoctrination process that
instills a new sense of camaraderie and advanced leadership expertise.
“The pinning ceremony is the culmination of these last six
weeks, which have been filled with intense preparation and hard work,” said
Capt. Denise Smith, NMTSC commanding officer during the ceremony. “Phase II training
focused on preparing each one of you for the position as a non-commissioned
officer. In the Navy, E-7 carries unique additional responsibilities and has
privileges that are not found in writing, but rather from the greater 200 years
of naval history and heritage.”
Chief petty officers are the backbone of the Navy, as they
mentor not only the junior enlisted ranks but junior officers as well. They are
the sought-after experts in their field who ensure mission success.
“Now that you have received this status, you must live up to
the new responsibilities and fulfill the expectations that others will have for
you,” Mason said. “This is both a joy and a burden. It will be your fellow
chiefs you will turn to for advice or to blow off steam.”
More than 4,000 new chiefs were pinned across the world and
Mason’s words of advice apply to each of them.
“Make the most of your opportunities,” he said. “Exceed the
expectations of others, and make yourself a full partner in this exclusive
group.”