The CPO Creed
During the course of this day you have been
caused to humbly accept challenge and face adversity. This you have accomplished
with rare good grace. Pointless as some of these challenges may have seemed,
there were valid, time-honored reasons behind each pointed barb. It was
necessary to meet these hurdles with blind faith in the fellowship of Chief
Petty Officers. The goal was to instill in you that trust is inherent with the
donning of the uniform of a Chief. It was our intent to impress upon you that
challenge is good; a great and necessary reality which cannot mar you - which,
in fact, strengthens you. In your future as a Chief Petty Officer, you will be
forced to endure adversity far beyond that imposed upon you today. You must face
each challenge and adversity with the same dignity and good grace you
demonstrated today. By experience, by performance, and by testing, you have been
this day advanced to Chief Petty Officer. In the United States Navy - and only
in the United States Navy - the rank of E7 carries with it unique
responsibilities and privileges you are now bound to observe and expected to
fulfill. Your entire way of life is now changed. More will be expected of you;
more will be demanded of you. Not because you are an E7 but because you are now a
Chief Petty Officer. You have not merely been promoted one paygrade, you have
joined an exclusive fellowship and, as in all fellowships, you have a special
responsibility to your comrades, even as they have a special responsibility to
you. This is why we in the United States Navy may maintain with pride our
feelings of accomplishment once we have attained the position of Chief Petty
Officer. Your new responsibilities and privileges do not appear in print. They
have no official standing; they cannot be referred to by name, number, nor file.
They have existed for over 100 years, Chiefs before you have freely accepted
responsibility beyond the call of printed assignment. Their actions and their
performance demanded the respect of their seniors as well as their juniors. It
is now required that you be the fountain of wisdom, the ambassador of good will,
the authority in personal relations as well as in technical applications. "Ask
the Chief" is a household phrase in and out of the Navy. You are now the Chief.
The exalted position you have now achieved - and the word exalted is used
advisedly - exists because of the attitude and performance of the Chiefs before
you. It shall exist only as long as you and your fellow Chiefs maintain these
standards. It was our intention that you never forget this day. It was our
intention to test you, to try you, and to accept you. Your performance has
assured us that you will wear "the hat" with the same pride as your comrades in
arms before you. We take a deep and sincere pleasure in clasping your hand, and
accepting you as a Chief Petty officer in the United States Navy... |
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