Did you do these 9 things after you made Chief?

2015-05-29T14:58:13-04:00

http://www.wearethemighty.com/9-things-chiefs-soon-put-khaki-uniform-2015-05

9 things new chief petty officers do when they put on khakis

The US Navy is an institution rich in tradition with its own language and elaborate ceremonies. One of those ceremonies is the Chief Petter Officer initiat

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made May 29 at 2015 2:58 PM

2015-05-29T14:58:28-04:00

This is so true

Response by CPO Emmett (Bud) Carpenter made May 29 at 2015 6:35 PM

2015-05-29T18:35:00-04:00

No. I made chief in 1984. I had a ensign for lunch every day, I never called anybody shipmate I sure as hell didn't smile after going thru initiation, I didn't make love to to my wife because I couldn't stand to see a civilian have a good time. I did a lot of other stuff too but don't have time to go into right now. Being a Chief Petty Officer in the U S Navy is the best job in the world. It's also very hard work. Running the Navy took a lot of time and effort.

Response by CPO Jim Turner made May 30 at 2015 8:27 PM

2015-05-30T20:27:58-04:00

1) I still smile when someone calls me "Chief" eventhough I retired in 2002.
2) Coffee mugs and anything else that said "Chief".
3) No, never really liked the term "shipmate". Worked with someone who turned me on it.
4) Yes on the first names, is a tradition
5) Didn't get the chance, I was stationed with Marines after making Chief and didn't get a chance to deploy.
6) Worked harder to keep it off. Didn't want to be one everyone pointed to.
7) Not really
8) Not really
9) Too late, did that before making Chief.

Response by SCPO Penny Douphinett made Jun 3 at 2015 6:52 PM

2015-06-03T18:52:57-04:00

I guess I did it all wrong when I made Chief. Never had a coffee cup or any of those shirts. No Chief's mess either, shore duty so everyone ate together but I didn't gain weight since I never had time to eat. Did call other khakis by their first names but did that already out of uniform since my husband was a Chief. I did smile though!

Response by MCPO Forris Hudkins made Jun 5 at 2015 10:41 AM

2015-06-05T10:41:32-04:00

I made chief on April Fool's Day in 1966 in Pearl Harbor. (Some have commented that date was significant to my advancement!) I didn't have much of an initiation as there was no other chief on the old LST heading for Vietnam at about the same speed as made by Columbus. Just a sort 'uh thing thrown together in the CPO club by such CPO's that were that Saturday morning. I didn't know a single one of them . . .

Made RMCS in 1972 and RMCM in 1974 and you can bet I made an effort to make certain new CPO's didn't miss out on their initiation when I was in position to accomplish that as mess president, CMC, whatever. I regretted not having a real initiation.

Last initiation I helped set up was at the Old Mill in Gaeta, Italy, for COMSIXTHFLT and USS BELKNAP sailors advancing to CPO in 1989. I have not since attended an initiation and have no idea how they are conducted now that we have so many females in he Navy. (We toned down an initiation in Rota, Spain in 1973 because we had a female in the group, but I suspect it still was rougher than they now are.)

Response by MCPO Hans Brakob made Jun 10 at 2015 10:33 PM

2015-06-10T22:33:22-04:00

I put on "the hat" in 1967.

Back then "Shipmate" was a proud and honored title. So was "Sailor", and so was "Chief". I answered to any of those titles, and yes, I smiled.

Nobody called anyone "Senior" or "Master". "A Chief is a Chief is a Chief is a Chief". Some got a little bigger payday, but they all answered to "Hey, Chief, can you help with this?"

I didn't wash my coffee cup when I was an SN, why should I start when I wore khaki?.

Maybe the good LCDR is a boot, because he doesn't seem to understand what being a Chief is supposed to be all about.

v/r

H. Hans Brakob RMCM, USN (Ret)

Response by CPO Michael Callegri made Jun 11 at 2015 3:41 PM

2015-06-11T15:41:33-04:00

Yes to pretty much all of it. I still smile as I think about it. As was said, it was the highlight of my Navy Career.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 16 at 2015 9:11 AM

2015-06-16T09:11:49-04:00

Response by CWO3 Dennis M. made Nov 10 at 2021 6:34 PM

2021-11-10T18:34:06-05:00

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member I put the Chiefs hat on in December 1979, on the USS Enterprise CVN-65, which had the largest Chiefs Mess afloat in the Navy at that time. It was one hell of an initiation, and it was OLD SCHOOL at that! But I did all of the nine things and a lot of other things as well !!!!!