It was thirty years ago today that I stood in a room with some others like me at the CPO Club at Mare Island Naval Station, CA. and “Put On The Hat”. We had all just completed a gruelling non-stop 24 hours during which we were tested by our new peers to determine if we were worthy to be amongst them. Of course, the U.S. Navy had determined that we were to be advanced in rank to E-7. But that and becoming a “CHIEF” and earning the right to called “CHIEF” are much different matters. Now in 2011 Mare Island Naval Station and the “Chiefs Initiation” are things of the past. Our “Right Of Passage” was not an event to observed by anyone. All activities were conducted in private and not made a public spectacle of. Other than us initiatees, only those who were initiated CPO’s were allowed to attend including a good number of retired Chiefs who were of course held in high regard and respected. We were completing a ritual that they had completed and the Chiefs before them. We forged a sacred bound with one another that day and were henceforth brothers. Just as the CPO’s of WW2 initiated the Chief’s of the Korean and Cold Wars and they initiated the Chief’s of the Vietnam War, so we were initiated. That is heritage. That is tradition. For me, making Chief and being INITIATED was ‘The Holy Grail” of my Navy career.

I understand your feelings. It was a proud day when I made Chief and I wanted everyone to know it, unfortunately today the CPO is nothing more than a glorified gofer, tons of responisbilites with little authority.
I place the blame on the CPO mess for rolling over and accepting bogus political correctness and the political hacks dsiguised as MCPOs who cannot muster the courage to say "No! This is where the stupidity stops"
Joe Campo tried but but the others weren't worth a pimple on a poor fireman's a$$.

SMH. Really?

フェロニウスの馬鹿。　笑。未だ読んでいる？