Navy Information Warfare Commands Pin 20 New Chief Petty Officers
25 October 2022
SUFFOLK, Va. -- Twenty newly selected chief petty officers entered the Suffolk Federal Complex Hall of Heroes in their freshly-pressed khakis Oct. 21 singing "Anchors Aweigh," the unofficial march song of the United States Navy.
The new chiefs represented Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR), Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command (NCDOC), Naval Network Warfare Command (NNWC) and Joint Staff Norfolk.
After a six week initiation period, the chiefs waited with anticipation to receive their fouled anchor insignia worn on their uniform collar. The ceremony also includes the "donning of the hat," where the chiefs’ mentors or family members placed their covers on their heads.
Master Chief Laura Nunley, NAVIFOR force master chief, was the guest speaker at the event and addressed the twenty newly-pinned Chiefs.
“The training provided to you over the past six weeks was designed to make you think, designed to make you come together and in some cases designed for you to fail, safely, with guidance readily at hand,” said Nunley. “It was designed to teach you to lean on one another and ultimately the Chief’s Mess. It was designed to be a foundation on which to build your legacy as a chief petty officer. That legacy starts today.”
Unlike other branches in the military, in order to become a chief petty officer and join the Navy’s senior enlisted leadership, chief selects take a six-week training course that focuses on shifting their priorities to become a servant leader for their Sailors. The training involved much self-reflection, learning and leading. The service members physically trained, took lessons in leadership and volunteered in the local community.
“The only way to ensure total success for your command, your Sailors, and yourself is through genuine, committed, constant and engaged leadership. Being “the Chief” is a great responsibility,” said Nunley.
According to the Naval History and Heritage Command website, the chief petty officer, as recognized today, was officially established 1 April 1893, when the rank “petty officer first class” was shifted to “chief petty officer.” For 129 years, Navy chiefs have bridged the gap between officers and enlisted personnel, acting as supervisors as well as advocates for their Sailors.
When you walk among the deck plates in the Navy you will see Navy chiefs with their gold fouled anchors on their uniforms. They will either be mentoring a junior Sailor or serving as an advisor to senior officers. The Chief is the backbone of the Navy, and they run the deck plates.
NAVIFOR's mission is to generate, directly and through our leadership of the IW Enterprise, agile and technically superior manned, trained, equipped, and certified combat-ready IW forces to ensure our Navy will decisively DETER, COMPETE, and WIN.
For more information on NAVIFOR, visit the command Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/NavalInformationForces/ or the public web page at
https://www.navifor.usff.navy.mil.
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