CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq – “Attention on deck!” bellows Command Master Chief Petty Officer John T. Lees, a New York native and the most senior enlisted member of Riverine Squadron Two, based out of Norfolk, Va., to bring the ceremony to order. The first Chief Petty Officer Pinning Ceremony held at Contingency Operating Base Basra began at 7 p.m. at the Moral, Welfare and Recreation stage Sept. 16.
“The ceremony is only held once a year, so this is the only time we will do this,” said Chief Petty Officer Josh Mazer, intelligence specialist, Riverines. “It is held at the same time as all of our Sailors.”
As soon as the opening ceremony is complete, the inductees are called to the stage one by one. They make their way toward the center of the stage and are joined by their sponsors. Sponsors are chiefs who joined the ranks in prior years and are tasked with guiding the Sailors through the process.
The Sailors who make the promotion list to the rank of chief petty officer are required to go through a process of steps involving testing, tutoring and evaluation in the six weeks leading up to the pinning ceremony.
“It’s the biggest milestone in a Sailor’s career,” said Mazer.
“Unlike petty officer first class and lower ranks, advancement to chief petty officer not only carries requirements of superior evaluation scores and specialty examinations, but also carries an added requirement of peer review,” according to Ensign Gilbert Baughn, the Riverine communication officer, and a former chief petty officer. “A chief petty officer can only advance after review by a selection board of serving senior and master chief petty officers, in effect choosing their own.”
“The induction prepares us to assume the responsibility of the duties of a chief,” said Mazer. “It challenges us to step up to the responsibility.”
As the petty officers took center stage, their sponsors position themselves on either side of their Sailors. One stepped forward to place the new chief’s hat on his head, and the other pinned the new anchors on the Sailor’s collar, unless the Sailor only had one sponsor. In many cases the pin on rank is supplied by another chief, a mentor or family.
The pinning ceremony is the last step in the long process. However, there is one last event before the ceremony.
“There is 24 hours of challenges designed to see how you perform under pressure,” said Mazer. “It tests your mental stability.”
“In the Navy, their uniform changes to reflect this change of duty, becoming identical to that of an officer's uniform except with different insignia,” added Baughn.
The Sailors, assembled at the side of the stage, were recognized and began to sing the Navy song, after the first chorus the assembled Sailors joined in. When this was complete, each of the new chiefs filed off stage through a line of their peers to receive the first salute in recognition of the milestone they achieved.
“It’s time to step up and lead Sailors,” said Mazer.
