Happy Birthday, Chiefs!

USMCGrunt said:
In any organization - military or civilian - there are both formal and informal org charts. It pays to have the emotional intelligence to understand and work within these structures.

It is fascinating to read these stories of shipboard life. I didn't have enough exposure to it during my service time. As embarked Infantry Marines, we didn't see much of this stuff and frankly, I couldn't wait to get off and get on firm land. ;)

I did do a tour as a Guard Officer at a Naval Weapons Station but when the ship was onloading munitions, we had firm control of the security and didn't get static from anyone onboard or ashore.

I think these stories present future Naval Officers with a great perspective of how the "real world" works. Keep 'em coming.
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Yeah it's interesting. In my shipboard time Chiefs and the Marines had a very....mutually antagonistic relationship. Not sure if that was the norm or exception.
 
That would be the norm. You know that!

I wished a CPO friend of mine happy birthday yesterday and he thanked me.
Then I asked him if he was there in 1893 for the first party.

So he sent me this (see below) ;)
 
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Hurricane12 said:
USMCGrunt said:
In any organization - military or civilian - there are both formal and informal org charts. It pays to have the emotional intelligence to understand and work within these structures.

It is fascinating to read these stories of shipboard life. I didn't have enough exposure to it during my service time. As embarked Infantry Marines, we didn't see much of this stuff and frankly, I couldn't wait to get off and get on firm land. ;)

I did do a tour as a Guard Officer at a Naval Weapons Station but when the ship was onloading munitions, we had firm control of the security and didn't get static from anyone onboard or ashore.

I think these stories present future Naval Officers with a great perspective of how the "real world" works. Keep 'em coming.
Click to expand...

Yeah it's interesting. In my shipboard time Chiefs and the Marines had a very....mutually antagonistic relationship. Not sure if that was the norm or exception.
Click to expand...
USS Secondship was an Amphib and we did 4 "floats" (embarking Marines for deployments) in my time aboard. In every instance, the shipboard CPO mess invited the Gunnys and above into their midst and integrated just fine which was the same as the Wardroom did with the embarked Marine officers along with embarked Navy, Army and other nations officers.
Both COs that I had during my time aboard were adamant that we would be "one team" and we were.
Not sure if this is a good example of it but at one point we were in Rota for postdeployment washdown and one evening at the O Club, a couple of marines from another ship in the squadron were ripping on a couple of my junior officer shipmates. Several of our embarked Marines stepped in to intervene and eventually hands were thrown. Not a good example behavior wise but indicative that our marines felt that they were part of OUR ship.
Note: I was in a group that included my CO/XO along with the CO of Troops (senior Marine aboard) and THEY said to our group - "Lets step into this room over here and have a drink" as they did not want to take official notice of what was happening.
 
As a retired Chief I thank everyone for our birthday wishes. I do hope that our Navy keeps the traditions and customs that have been discussed in this thread. These stories are the backbone of the teamwork needed to be the most professional and successful branch of service. I have already told my son to seek out the Chief when he reports for duty because although the Chief may not know everything, he/she will certainly know where to get the answer. Navy Chief, Navy Pride!
 
Hurricane12 said:
Yeah it's interesting. In my shipboard time Chiefs and the Marines had a very....mutually antagonistic relationship. Not sure if that was the norm or exception.
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I was the senior Corpsman and IDC attached to a SPMAGTF embarked in USS Ponce. We did an embassy protection and sustainment mission during one of Liberia's civil war outbreaks. We had some heavy hitters other than me, just kidding, with names like Corwin, Lefebvre, and Alford. Two are retired and one is still an active duty general. Anyway, the relationship between the CPO Mess and embarked troops was antagonistic I guess I would describe as you did. That included toward me as well. I lived in SNCO berthing with the Marines and ate in the Mess, but was treated as any other non-crew member. The Chief from the Special Boat Unit was in the same boat, pun intended. Unfortunately for him, he never went ashore but I did.

I'm sure the Chiefs knew the Marines were the reason for the ship's existence but somehow were put out by the extra work required when they were aboard. None of my four ships were gators but two of them had air dets. I don't remember us showing animosity toward them but that might not be a fair comparison. One thing the CMC on the Ponce did that showed his lack of character and leadership ability was kiss up to the Senior Chief in the eight man SEAL detachment we had. It was embarrassing really the way he slobbered on BMCS (SEAL) Don Shipley, and that was before Don became famous. You might recognize him as the guy who exposes phony SEALs. His youtube videos are hilarious.
 
OldRetSWO said:
All of you pretenders that talk about being "raised" by your chiefs are pikers. My dad was a chief from 7 years before I was born until I was a Lieutenant. I reenlisted him for his final hitch at my USNA graduation.
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I grew up in a house where my Mom was a CPO. She was a school teacher and I guess got bored and joined the reserves just before the age cutoff which was about 35. She had several degrees, and entered as an E-4 in Intel, and early promoted a few times and early selected for Chief. I remember hearing the stories about the initiation (this was early 80's), and didn't really appreciate it till I was in the fleet years later. I imagine her (at that point, a school teacher in her early 40's) going through the same "stuff" as all the younger guys (king neptune's belly button and all of that...) and they didn't give her any special treatment. She was more proud of that, I think, than anything else she ever did.
She eventually became a Mustang, and was a JG when she swore me in at my commissioning in Pensacola.

Mom was a school teacher AND a Chief, that was tough sometimes....
 
A6E Dad said:
I grew up in a house where my Mom was a CPO. She was a school teacher and I guess got bored and joined the reserves just before the age cutoff which was about 35. She had several degrees, and entered as an E-4 in Intel, and early promoted a few times and early selected for Chief. I remember hearing the stories about the initiation (this was early 80's), and didn't really appreciate it till I was in the fleet years later. I imagine her (at that point, a school teacher in her early 40's) going through the same "stuff" as all the younger guys (king neptune's belly button and all of that...) and they didn't give her any special treatment. She was more proud of that, I think, than anything else she ever did.
She eventually became a Mustang, and was a JG when she swore me in at my commissioning in Pensacola.

Mom was a school teacher AND a Chief, that was tough sometimes....
Click to expand...
I remember hearing the stories about the initiation (this was early 80's), and didn't really appreciate it till I was in the fleet years later. I imagine her (at that point, a school teacher in her early 40's) going through the same "stuff" as all the younger guys (king neptune's belly button and all of that...) and they didn't give her any special treatment. She was more proud of that, I think, than anything else she ever did. I messed up the quote function. duh.

Everything above is from A6Edad.

Giving her a break would have been disappointing for all involved and I understand the feeling of pride in going through initiation, especially when she did. I had the opposite path as your mom. Made Chief, Senior Chief, retired, became a teacher, got a bunch of degrees. Thanks for the great post.
 
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