MCPON: Chief induction is not a tradition

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
10 years from now CPO initiation will be long forgotten. Progress.

I still have my charge book.

Mike Stevens knows what it's like to be accused of breaking traditions.
As the 13th master chief petty officer of the Navy, he has faced outrage and dismay over his decision two years ago to "respectfully sundown" the practice of chief's induction — and all the alcohol and misbehavior that often came with it — in favor of tough, professional training that marks a sailor's entrance into the fleet's most coveted ranks.

another tradition bites the dust
 

Vince

......
I too have my charge book and I'm sorry to say Mike Stevens work in my shop when he was a first class. the days of a real chief are long gone, I'm glad I retired in 1998, but I'm sad for my Navy
Yep, still have mine, but I have to agree. The days of the real Chief are gone. Initiation doesn't mean anything any longer. Glad I'm retired, the New Navy would not agree with me.
 

SG_Player1974

New Member
#1 - NO.. I was not a chief. I was an E-6 and got out before ever taking the exam. And before all you ex-chiefs out there have something to say.... I worked side-by-side with chief petty officers for my entire career so I think I have a little experience with it.

That said... I would have to also say that I am pretty happy with this. The "Initiation" of Chief POs is nothing more than a waste of time! A body that is removed from their duty for 6-8 weeks to do extra PT and play stupid games. It might have been something in the 80s and before but, now it is just a joke and a drain on manpower.

I do not doubt that becoming a Chief Petty Officer meant a great deal about 20-30 years ago. Now, it is just a pay increase and a different color uniform.
 

PJumper

New Member
#1 - NO.. I was not a chief. I was an E-6 and got out before ever taking the exam. And before all you ex-chiefs out there have something to say.... I worked side-by-side with chief petty officers for my entire career so I think I have a little experience with it.

That said... I would have to also say that I am pretty happy with this. The "Initiation" of Chief POs is nothing more than a waste of time! A body that is removed from their duty for 6-8 weeks to do extra PT and play stupid games. It might have been something in the 80s and before but, now it is just a joke and a drain on manpower.

I do not doubt that becoming a Chief Petty Officer meant a great deal about 20-30 years ago. Now, it is just a pay increase and a different color uniform.

The "Initiation" of Chief POs is nothing more than a waste of time! A body that is removed from their duty for 6-8 weeks to do extra PT and play stupid games. (That's when First Classes, not E-6s who wants to be a Chief needs to step up to the plate)....and yes an E-6 would never understand because you've never been part of a Mess. Enough said.
 
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DynaDink

New Member
Damned shame. This along with other traditions such as Shellback and Bluenose will never be the same thanks to the PC BS our Navy is so wrapped up in. God bless todays sailors.
 

h3mech

Active Member
The "Initiation" of Chief POs is nothing more than a waste of time! A body that is removed from their duty for 6-8 weeks to do extra PT and play stupid games. (That's when First Classes, not E-6s who wants to be a Chief needs to step up to the plate)....and yes an E-6 would never understand because you've never been part of a Mess. Enough said.

hear hear, as a Card carrying CPO, the little games you talked about were there to teach you things needed to be the best CPO possible, which I will not go into here, but each station at Initiation was there for you show what you have learned, my charge book is displayed with pride, also I have the first MCPON Delbert Black signature in my book and I'm very proud of that. remember if your CPO don't have a clue your JO (junior officers) will not have one either, at some point they become admirals with no clue and we lose the war, hope you like praying on a prayer run because that's what coming next. all because of no silly Initiation, sorry to my fellow chiefs for going on like this it just pisses me off how my navy is going to hell and don't start me on junior enlisted wearing my uniform shirt, but that another story.
 
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SG_Player1974

New Member
The "Initiation" of Chief POs is nothing more than a waste of time! A body that is removed from their duty for 6-8 weeks to do extra PT and play stupid games. (That's when First Classes, not E-6s who wants to be a Chief needs to step up to the plate)....and yes an E-6 would never understand because you've never been part of a Mess. Enough said.

OH please! It may have been that way "back in the day" when you were in the chief's mess but it certainly isn't anymore. All it has become is blatant cronyism and self congratulatory BS with very few to no real leadership. It has all become "Do what I say.. not what I do!"

Please define how this "Initiation" process helps the Navy at all! How exactly does it provide a benefit? You speak of instilling leadership. Is that REALLY what it is doing? Not from what I have heard.

I actually got to work with an "E-7" and he was the best leader I ever worked for in the Navy. Couldn't say the same for the "Chiefs" I had to work for.
 

DoWhat

Deplorable
PREMO Member
"Once a Chief always a Chief"
I understand, but don't take that attitude into the civilian workforce.
 

SG_Player1974

New Member
"Once a Chief always a Chief"
I understand, but don't take that attitude into the civilian workforce.

Funny you say that...

Recently had one (former) come in as CSS to work on the contract. I guess he thought he was still the "Chief" :shrug:

He is gone now BTW...
 

DoWhat

Deplorable
PREMO Member
Funny you say that...

Recently had one (former) come in as CSS to work on the contract. I guess he thought he was still the "Chief" :shrug:

He is gone now BTW...

I had a retired Senior Chief tell me what he planned on doing, asking approval, tell me to nod north and south.
I am prior military and I laughed in his face.
 

DoWhat

Deplorable
PREMO Member
Getting back to the original post.
The traditions from all branches of the military have gone to $hit.

It use to be fun.
Work hard, play hard.
No more.
 

b23hqb

Well-Known Member
PREMO Member
Getting back to the original post.
The traditions from all branches of the military have gone to $hit.

It use to be fun.
Work hard, play hard.
No more.

Ahhh - good old PC run amok. The current American way.
 

Inkd

Active Member
#1 - NO.. I was not a chief. I was an E-6 and got out before ever taking the exam. And before all you ex-chiefs out there have something to say.... I worked side-by-side with chief petty officers for my entire career so I think I have a little experience with it.

That said... I would have to also say that I am pretty happy with this. The "Initiation" of Chief POs is nothing more than a waste of time! A body that is removed from their duty for 6-8 weeks to do extra PT and play stupid games. It might have been something in the 80s and before but, now it is just a joke and a drain on manpower.

I do not doubt that becoming a Chief Petty Officer meant a great deal about 20-30 years ago. Now, it is just a pay increase and a different color uniform.


That's funny. When I was coming up through the ranks and our LPO made Chief, we never noticed him gone for initiation because we were trained to survive on our own. Senior Second Classes stepped up and filled in the LPO's shoes and everyone else filled in the open slots.
 

DoWhat

Deplorable
PREMO Member
That's funny. When I was coming up through the ranks and our LPO made Chief, we never noticed him gone for initiation because we were trained to survive on our own. Senior Second Classes stepped up and filled in the LPO's shoes and everyone else filled in the open slots.

:yay:
Camaraderie and Teamwork.
 

CrashTest

Well-Known Member
Ahhh - good old PC run amok. The current American way.

That's one way of looking at it.

Another way of looking at it is no more wasting time and money doing stupid chit.

If they need an initiation, perhaps instead of stupid hazing, they can make the CPO selectees spend time manning the gates at Pax so traffic isn't backed up to Hollywood.
 

SG_Player1974

New Member
That's funny. When I was coming up through the ranks and our LPO made Chief, we never noticed him gone for initiation because we were trained to survive on our own. Senior Second Classes stepped up and filled in the LPO's shoes and everyone else filled in the open slots.

Oh... you mean you actually had enough manning to cover the extra work? :sarcasm:
 
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