HAMPTON, Va. — The Navy celebrated its new crop of chief petty officers on Friday. In crisp, new khakis, 4,765 sailors were pinned with their anchors as the collective chiefs mess welcomed them into the Navy's proudest ranks.
Between all three service components, 22,232 first class petty officers were considered by the active, FTS and reserve selection boards. Combined, an average of 21.4 percent of those sailors moved up into the khaki ranks Friday.
Chief Hospital Corpsman Armando Montoya, from Chicago, is congratulated in the hangar bay of the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, after the ship's chief petty officer pinning ceremony.
Photo Credit: MC3 Ryan N. McFarlane/Navy
At the Hampton, Virginia, convention center's grand ballroom, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (IDW/SW) Steven Giordano welcomed the 57 selectees from the precommissioning unit of the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford into the chief's mess.
Chief Personnel Specialist Taylor Himes gets pinned by his daughter Rider Himes during a chief petty officer pinning ceremony in the Career Education Center aboard Commander, U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo. Himes and fourteen other chief petty officers were promoted at the ceremony.
Photo Credit: MC3 Kristopher S. Haley/Navy
It was Giordano's first fleet appearance since becoming MCPON two weeks ago. His words to those sailors and the 2,000 guests ring true for the 3,786 active-duty, 167 reserve full-time support and the 812 selected reservists pinned at ceremonies around the globe.
"The honor of being selected for chief petty officer is not one to be taken lightly," Giordano told the selects. "A few months ago, a board of your now peers identified your potential to excel at the next pay grade by conducting a review of your performance evaluations and career."
As the Navy's top enlisted, he told the selects to never take their selection to chief petty officer for granted and to reflect on their anchors and the responsibility that comes with them every day they wear them.
"Never forget how heavy your anchors are, and what they require of you," he said. "As a chief you must be current in your knowledge of all things Navy — in order to be an enforcer of standards as a chief, you must become the expert … as the chief, you have the duty to educate and train your sailors, not just in the Navy, but in life. Listen to their struggles, and coach them to the decision that is best for themselves."
Mark D. Faram is a former reporter for Navy Times. He was a senior writer covering personnel, cultural and historical issues. A nine-year active duty Navy veteran, Faram served from 1978 to 1987 as a Navy Diver and photographer.
