COM NTM-A Remarks at Chief Recognition Ceremony

 

16 September 2011; Camp Eggers, Afghanistan

Good afternoon.

It is an honor to be here today and be a part of a ceremony rich in naval tradition and heritage to welcome 13 new members to the Chief’s Mess.

To make it here, you excelled throughout your careers and during your induction. Congratulations!

I also want to recognize MSG Anthony Stoneburg who is being made an honorary Chief Petty Officer. MSG Stoneburg participated in the six week indoc training in honor of his late father, Senior Chief Petty Officer John Stoneburg.

I must commend the Chief’s Mess of the Kabul Base Cluster. Even at war, far from home and the waterfront, you fulfilled your entrusted obligation to sponsor and mentor these Sailors selected for Chief Petty Officer. Your commitment to the Navy and to the Chief’s Mess is admirable.

I am a Soldier, but I am no stranger to the Navy. I spent two wonderful years in Monterey at Naval Post Graduate School.

Over the years, I have had the honor of working with a number of admirals to include our NATO boss Admiral Jim Stavridis and my good friend and shipmate, Admiral Mark Fox, who heads up NAVCENT. And on all but one day a year, I root for Navy football. We are all one team after all.

As a joint commander, I also have the privilege of working with Sailors and naval officers every day. I have grown an appreciation for those in the Navy who wear the First Navy Jack on their sleeve. And I have developed a respect for those who wear a chief’s anchor on their uniforms. It is quite apparent to anyone on the base that the Mess is truly a united network of camaraderie as we often observe those with anchors grouped in huddles at the DFACs or on Gator Alley.

For the last 118 years, those Sailors who wear that fouled anchor on their uniforms are known for being technical experts, mentors and deck-plate leaders. When there is problem, Chiefs get it done.

On the one hundredth anniversary of the chief petty officer rank, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Kelso made this point. “In large measure they have not only ensured my success, but the success of every person who has served in our Navy.”

Admiral Stavridis agrees. He wanted you to know that any success he has had in his career is by having good chiefs. He recently told me,

“When I was a young Commander and captain of destroyer BARRY on the waterfront, we were lucky enough to win the Battenberg Cup as the top ship in the Atlantic Fleet. People would ask me what was the secret of our success. I would tell them, ‘I have a solid wardroom, a crew that tries their best, and THE BEST CHIEF’S MESS ON THE WATERFRONT. My Chief’s mess carried me in the Barry, and what I learned from my CPOs became the foundation of my career as a senior officer.”

Even though we are far from the waterfront, Chiefs are making an incredible difference here at NTM-A. We see that in our ceremony today, but we will continue to see it with 13 more chiefs.

As you leave here today as chiefs, remember these words. You join a select group of Sailors and have new responsibilities. You have a responsibility to lead; our Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, and Marines expect it. Our officers need you to lead; command success begins at the deckplate.

Thank you for this opportunity. Congratulations on this important career milestone. Welcome to the Goat Locker.

Category: Blogs - Blogs, Speeches - Lt. Gen William B. Caldwell, IV