Chiefs' Mess

The Fouled Anchor is the emblem of the Rate of Chief Petty Officer of the United States Navy. The fouled anchor has long been the symbol of the Chief Petty Officer. In terms of the Chief, the fouled anchor symbolizes the trials and tribulations that every Chief Petty Officer must endure on a daily basis. Attached to the anchor is a length of chain and the letters U.S.N. To the novice, the anchor, chain, and letters only identify a Chief Petty Officer of the United States Navy — but to a Chief, these have a more noble and glorious meaning.

The "U" stands for Unity, which reminds us of cooperation, maintaining harmony and continuity of purpose and action.

The "S" stands for Service, which reminds us of service to our God, our fellow man, and our Navy.

The "N" stands for Navigation, which reminds us to keep ourselves on a true course so that we may walk upright before God and man in our transactions with all mankind, but especially with our fellow Chiefs.

The Chain is symbolic of flexibility and reminds us of the chain of life that we forge day by day, link by link — and may it be forged with Honor, Morality, and Virtue.

The Anchor is emblematic of the hope and glory of the fulfillment of all God's promises to our souls — the precious anchor by which we must be kept steadfast in faith and encouraged to abide in our proper station amidst the storm of temptation, affliction, and persecution.

The rate of Chief Petty Officer was established on April 1, 1893 — making the CPO Corps more than a century old. No other armed force has a rate or rank precisely equivalent to that of the United States Navy or Coast Guard Chief. While all armed forces have enlisted and commissioned classes, the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard hold the distinction of four distinct classes of service: Enlisted, Chief Petty Officer, Warrant, and Commissioned — a structure that makes the title "Chief" uniquely distinctive.

The Chief is required to be a fountain of wisdom, the ambassador of good will, and the authority on personnel relations as well as the technical expert. "Ask the Chief" is a household word in and out of the Navy.

In honor of the Chief Petty Officers who gave all in support of their country — Chief Petty Officers Lost in the Line of Duty →

Advancement and retirement gifts, shadow boxes, rings, challenge coins, clothing, and more. Goatlocker.org does not sell anything directly, but allows ads from CPO-owned businesses in one location only — no commercial advertising appears anywhere else on the site.

Browse CPO Memorabilia & Gifts →

In November 1994, the USS CHIEF (MCM-14) was commissioned in honor of the dedicated service of the Chief Petty Officer Corps of the United States Navy, as well as for the honored wartime service of her namesake USS CHIEF (AM-315). One of the lasting results was the creation of the Chief Petty Officer Scholarship Fund (CPOSF), whose charter was signed in January 1998 at the U.S. Navy's Senior Enlisted Academy in Newport, Rhode Island.

The CPOSF awards scholarships to CPOs, their spouses, and dependents. Visit cposf.org for applications and details →

1. FY 2027 and previous years' Chief, Senior Chief, and Master Chief Selection Board results.
2. Maryland now has CPO organizational license tags for vehicles and motorcycles. More info here.
3. Virginia now has U.S. Navy organizational license tags for vehicles and motorcycles. More info here.
4. South Carolina now has U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer License Plates. Contact Jeff Jacobs for more info.