“Chief Petty Officers are first and foremost deckplate leaders charged with developing Sailors and enforcing standards.”
My fellow Chiefs, CPO Induction will soon be upon us. If we are to move our Mess forward, it is imperative that this process is one of integrity; and one that prepares our Selectees to walk the deckplates with a united purpose: leading and developing Sailors, enforcing standards and advising our leadership.
The term Induction best describes how we now prepare Selectees to enter our Mess. To be Inducted means requirements must be fulfilled and standards met. It is a time for the entire Mess to re-affirm our commitment to our Guiding Principles. I expect this term to be enduring and to reflect equal effort from the Selectees and those of us who Induct them.
Those CPO's who have gone before us left a remarkable legacy of leadership. They were first and foremost deckplate Chiefs who were connected to their Sailors. The Induction process should be focused on training and the passing of knowledge from one generation of Chiefs to the next. We must take personal ownership of the development of Selectees. The enforcement of the personal and professional standards must be upheld by every Sailor who has earned the right to wear anchors.
In recent years, the process of making new Chiefs has been the subject of significant debate and many changes have been instituted. Many of those changes were necessary, and have resulted in a much more prepared Chief Petty Officer entering the Mess. We have abandoned acts of humiliation and meaningless activities that did not reflect our Navy Core Values. Other changes have lessened the connection to the foundation upon which the Chief Petty Officer rate was established nearly 114 years ago.
From this point forward, we will embrace our past, and align CPO Induction with the original intent: the development of deckplate Chiefs who are ready for the challenges associated with leading Sailors. We must be involved, engaged and vocal. There is a difference between a Chief and an E-7. Engagement in this process is one way to distinguish between the two.
Our Mess is strong. The way-ahead is clear. Command Master Chiefs are responsible for the conduct of Induction. They will be held accountable for both the results of the process and the individual activities and events leading to the pinning. Under no circumstances will CMCs abdicate their responsibility for the proper Induction of Chief Selectees.
The development of deckplate Chiefs will not cease following Induction. We will continue to provide training, guidance, mentorship and leadership to all our Chiefs throughout the year.
You'll see that the Guidance prohibits any semblance of hazing or behavior that would taint the process or our Navy. Be forewarned. Those practices are not consistent with our Guiding Principles. Conversely, they betray the true intent--to develop Chief Petty Officers and unite us as a Mess.
Our Induction will be conducted in accordance with our Mission, Vision and Guiding Principles. Every lesson must be tied to the Chiefs Mess Mission and Vision and each event will support the Guiding Principles.
Provide leadership to the Enlisted Force and advice to Navy leadership to create combat-ready Naval Forces.
Deckplate Leadership – Chiefs are visible leaders who set the tone. We will know the mission, know our Sailors, and develop them beyond their expectations as a team and as individuals.
Institutional and Technical Expertise - Chiefs are the experts in their field. We will use experience and technical knowledge to produce a well trained enlisted and officer team.
Professionalism – Chiefs will actively teach, uphold, and enforce standards. We will measure ourselves by the success of our Sailors. We will remain invested in the Navy through self-motivated military and academic education and training and will provide proactive solutions that are well founded, thoroughly considered, and linked to mission accomplishment.
Character – Chiefs abide by an uncompromising code of integrity, take full responsibility for their actions and keep their word. This will set a positive tone for the command, unify the Mess, and create esprit de corps.
Loyalty – Chiefs remember that loyalty must be demonstrated to seniors, peers and subordinates alike, and that it must never be blind. Few things are more important than people who have the moral courage to question the appropriate direction in which an organization is headed and then the strength to support whatever final decisions are made.
Active Communication – Chiefs encourage open and frank dialog, listen to Sailors and energize the communication flow up and down the chain of command. This will increase unit efficiency, mission readiness, and mutual respect.
Sense of Heritage - Defines our past and guides our future. Chiefs will use heritage to connect Sailors to their past, teach values and enhance pride in service to our country.
This guidance outlines what is acceptable and what is not. It is every Chief’s responsibility to read this document and become familiar with its contents.
Thank you for your dedicated efforts in this important phase of CPO development, and for your year-round commitment to the proactive development of all Chief Petty Officers.
Joe R. Campa, Jr.
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Guidance for Chiefs Induction
1. Conduct of Induction
a. Preparation. Every member of the Mess must be involved and engaged. I am confident preparations for Induction are underway in each Mess across our Navy. Detailed planning and clear communication of the standards to which Induction will be conducted is critical to a strong Chiefs’ Mess. Every Chief must fully understand those standards and be held accountable. The mistakes of our past, including those of last year, can all be tied to one common theme: Chiefs failing to step up, take charge and stop potential problems before they got out of hand.
b. Command Involvement. Induction is designed to prepare a Selectee to walk the deckplates as a Chief Petty Officer. Induction must not be conducted at the expense of our mission or our Sailors. I expect Command Master Chiefs to brief their COs and ensure mission readiness does not suffer due to Selectee training.
c. Spouse Involvement. Establish a connection with the Selectee’s family. Mutual understanding of the process will enable the Selectee to devote the requisite time and energy toward becoming a strong Chief Petty Officer. Include the family in your planning and make a concerted effort to educate them on the process and goals of Induction.
d. Training Topics/Materials. The Center for Naval Leadership will provide training modules that incorporate the CPO Mission, Vision and Guiding Principles. As you develop your command training, link key training points back to the MV&GP.
e. Heritage. Induction is a time of year we should be re-connecting with the history and traditions of our service and our community. It is more than educating our Selectees through memorization and book reports. The term heritage implies something deeper than that. It signifies discussion and true understanding of the sacrifices made by our predecessors and the Chiefs who have laid the foundation on which we thrive today.
2. Preplanning Considerations
The conduct and quality of CPO Induction will determine the future success of our newest Chiefs. The quality of the training is an indication of our commitment to our Mess, our Sailors, our commands and our Navy. Consider the following recommendations when constructing your 2007 CPO Induction plans.
* Our first priority is mission accomplishment. The Mess must consider various ways to mitigate impact on work centers and the command. Be creative. A short-term loss can be a long-term gain in making a new Chief better prepared to execute immediately.
* Be aware of ethnic, cultural and/or religious sensitivities of Mess members and Selectees and schedule accordingly.
* ORM. Conduct Operational Risk Management for all training evolutions.
* Fund raising should be limited to the direct costs for the professional development of the Selectees, and not as a means to raise funds for the Mess. Fund raising time will not exceed training time. Examples of direct costs:
- PT Uniforms
- Pinning Ceremony
- Khaki Ball expenses
- Training Activities
* Consider community relations activities as they are often beneficial elements of team-building skills.
* Involve spouses. Give them a schedule annotating events they are invited to attend.
* Plan a Khaki Ball or Dining Out to celebrate the successful conclusion of Induction.
* Engage every Chief in the process. For those who fail to engage, remind them of the difference between a Chief and an E7.
* Brief your commanding officer on the training plan and gain approval. Then brief the wardroom. An informed wardroom can provide substantial support.
* Other service/nation E7’s through E9’s may fully participate in the Induction process with the approval of the cognizant Fleet/Force/Numbered Fleet/Region Command Master Chief. Full participation throughout the entire process, from the day of notification through the pinning ceremony, is required. Communication among Senior Enlisted Leadership is essential.
3. Notification
This is an important aspect of Induction and sets the expectations of the Selectees, spouses, Chiefs Mess, crew and wardroom.
* Do not notify Selectees or publish the selection list until the Commanding Officer or OIC is informed.
* Ensure non-Selectees are appropriately notified and counseled. Follow-on career development boards can go into greater depth.
FTS Reserve personnel and those Reservists on active duty will begin their Induction process with their Active Duty counterparts. Drilling Reservists will begin upon notification of their selection.
4. Sponsor Assignment/Responsibilities
Sponsors play a critical role and are the key to the success of the Induction process. It is critical that CMC’s take the time to match the right Sponsor with the right Selectee.
Each Selectee should have a primary and alternate Sponsor. Under no circumstances will a Selectee attend any Induction event without their primary or alternate Sponsor present. Any Sponsor who appears to lose steam during the Induction process will be counseled, then fired if a course correction is not made immediately.
I also expect Sponsors to serve their traditional roles as caretakers and brokers of truth for their Selectees, who must realize that when their Sponsor gives them guidance it is truthful and in their best interests.
Sponsors will have a profound impact on a Selectee’s Induction experience and will continue to provide mentorship long after Induction. Consider time-on-board when selecting Sponsors.
5. Involvement of Spouses During Induction
“Guidelines for CPO Spouses,” is a publication written for and by CPO spouses and is an excellent tool to help family members understand their new Chief’s role and responsibilities. CMC’s should make this available to all Selectees’ family members. Although an outstanding resource, “Guidelines...” should complement a personal brief by the CMC; not replace it.
6. Physical Fitness Training
PT should be group-oriented, regularly scheduled and start at a slow pace, building intensity through the Induction. Group PT builds camaraderie and a strong sense of espirit-de-corps among the Selectees and with the Chiefs. Physical Fitness Training must not be hazing by another name.
Physical fitness activity planning tools can be obtained by emailing Kelly.powell1@navy.mil or buckley.hickman@navy.mil. Additionally, CDs can be ordered at http://www-nehc.navy.mil/hp/fitness and other resources will be made available on Direct Line.
Charge Books
Charge books are a traditional staple of the Induction process. Memories of their experiences will fade, but the wisdom, wit and guidance imparted on the pages of that book should stay with our Selectees forever. I encourage CMC’s and Induction Committees to incorporate heritage and some of the charge book traditions of the past when you give direction to our Selectees regarding the crafting, design and content of these keepsakes.
· How best to prepare?
· How to plan and track preparation?
· How to best display your qualifications?
The original charge books sprang from these challenges.
· First Class Petty Officers who kept them were the Chiefs’ “charges” for professional development; and/or
· Entries included authoritative instructions or tasking of a directive nature called “Charges”
Training Recommendations
Do:
*Select/create activities which support and teach our Mission, Vision and Guiding Principles.
*Consider assigning professional reading from the Navy Professional Reading Program Leading Petty Officer or Division Leader Collections to each Selectee. Readings can be discussed through periodic Selectee “chapter reports” or in a seminar format led by the CMC. Selectees should be able to connect reading material to our Guiding Principles.
*Conduct training and activities in a group format.
*Use the imagination, creativity, and initiative in your CPO Mess to design the final day’s event that challenges and welcomes the new Chiefs.
*Remove members from the events who are not following your established guidelines.
*Participation in the final day’s event is limited to the CPO Messes and retired CPOs. CMC’s may wish to allow Commanding Officers the opportunity to attend.
Do not:
*Compromise your professionalism at any time. Steadfast devotion to our Guiding Principles will ensure all events support, enhance, and test the training provided during Induction.
*Use props of the past at any venue. There will be no Kangaroo Courts.
*Do not force or allow Selectees to eat or drink food or liquids for any reason other than energy or a scheduled meal.
*Do not tolerate physical abuse of any kind.
*Do not allow cross-dressing or any sexually explicit behavior at any time during any Induction event.
*Do not allow the consumption of alcohol during or prior to any training event. The responsible use of alcohol is acceptable at Command Sponsored (Commanding Officer approved) social events. No training will be conducted where alcohol is present. CMCs/SELs must be present at these events.
Battle Stations
In the past couple of years a large number of commands followed a variation of the RTC Battle Stations model as part of the culmination of Selectee training. New Chiefs were challenged to accomplish more as a team than they ever could as a group of individuals.
A “Battle Stations” type event is clearly dependent on the location, platform, and operational tempo of the command. It is up to the incredible imagination, creativity and initiative that are found in each and every CPO mess to design a demanding process that challenges and welcomes new Chiefs, and emphasizes the fundamental guiding principles which direct our actions.
CPO Academies
CPO Academies are proven, effective forums for standardized training that can serve to support the Induction process. I support any initiative that strengthens our ability to give our Selectees the tools they will need to lead Sailors. However, I stress that CPO Academies are not required nor mandatory. They cannot replace the responsibilities of each CPO Mess. CPO Academies can expand on, reinforce and compliment individual Mess training and can be particularly beneficial to small commands by widening the experience foundation. But there is no such thing as a “finishing school” for Chiefs.
*CPO Academy training plans and requests for overnight event(s) must be vetted through the applicable Force or Region Command Master Chiefs for approval.
*Lessons and Course Content from Europe and Okinawa’s CPO Academy can be found on Direct Line.
Pinning Ceremony (Friday 14 September 2007)
This is the capstone event and demands careful planning as it will be one of the strongest memories of each Selectee’s career. Each command should construct a ceremony that is unique to their location, traditions and circumstances.
After the Pinning
*Actively mentor and evaluate new Chiefs throughout their first year in the Mess -- this is a special emphasis beyond what you do for all Chiefs. Sponsors should continue to have a role in the development of the new Chief they mentored throughout Induction.
*Gather, analyze, and implement lessons learned and submit them to your Fleet, Force, or Region Command Master Chief.
Responsibilities
Command Master Chief/Chief of the Boat/Command Senior Chief/Command Senior Enlisted Leader. Each command’s senior enlisted leader, CMDCM/COB/CSC (or in their absence, the most senior MCPO, SCPO, or CPO) is responsible and accountable for the conduct of the CPO Induction. As I stated earlier, you will not abdicate your responsibilities as Command Master Chiefs to a CPOA.
Teaching and training the Selectees is one of the most important responsibilities a Mess has – it is the legacy of the Mess and it establishes the foundation upon which future generations of Chiefs will perform. The 1918 edition of the Bluejackets Manual provides a timeless goal:
“The tone of the ship, the tone of the service itself must come more directly from the Chief Petty Officers than from any other group of people in the Navy. You have the standard; live up to it…”
Specific responsibilities include:
*You are responsible for the effective, dignified, and professional (safe) conduct of all aspects of the CPO Induction.
*Be present during ALL activities associated with CPO training.
*Demand maximum participation from your CPO mess in all activities throughout Induction, not just the last day.
*Actively mentor and guide your sponsors, ensure they are engaged from the beginning to the end.
*Conduct periodic "how-goes-it" interviews with every Selectee and their spouse.
*Plan annual leave outside of Induction. As Mess leaders you must attend all events. If not present, your designated representative must be placed in charge of the event.
*Brief your Chiefs on SECNAVINST 1610.2. This will give you the appropriate focus and perspective on what is/is not appropriate.
*Rather than list a series of specific prohibited practices which, though contrary to our Guiding Principles, were often performed to “create a rites of passage” to becoming Chief, use your judgment, uphold the guiding principles and do what you know is right and the Selectees will be appropriately Inducted.
*Fleet, Force/Numbered Fleet and Region Command Master Chiefs are equally accountable for the conduct of the CPO Induction within their claimancy or AOR, and are tasked with providing any additional guidance they deem necessary (coordinate guidance through the respective Fleet Master Chiefs where areas of responsibility overlap).
To all Chief Petty Officers:
This is our process. I value it, but I’ll caution you; do not cross the line we all know exists. Common sense should guide you. Police one another and keep the safety of our future Chiefs in mind at all times. I will not tolerate mistakes made through ignorance or disregard for the Navy’s policy on hazing.
I firmly believe that an effective Induction process is one that presents challenges to our Selectees like they have never faced. It should be difficult. Following Induction, all Chief Petty Officers must feel the sense of unity and accomplishment known only to those of us who walk the deckplates as Chief Petty Officers.