United States Navy Chief Petty Officer Creed (New Creed)

 

During the course of this day you have been caused to humbly accept challenge and face adversity. This you have accomplished with rare good grace.

Pointless as some of these challenges may have seemed, there were valid, time-honored reasons behind each pointed barb.

It was necessary to meet these hurdles with blind faith in the fellowship of Chief Petty Officers. The goal was to instill in you that trust is inherent with the donning of the uniform of a Chief. It was our intent to impress upon you that challenge is good; a great and necessary reality which cannot mar you - which, in fact, strengthens you. In your future as a Chief Petty Officer, you will be forced to endure adversity far beyond that imposed upon you today. You must face each challenge and adversity with the same dignity and good grace you demonstrated today.

By experience, by performance, and by testing, you have been this day advanced to Chief Petty Officer. In the United States Navy - and only in the United States Navy - the rank of E7 carries with it unique responsibilities and privileges you are now bound to observe and expected to fulfill.

Your entire way of life is now changed. More will be expected of you; more will be demanded of you. Not because you are a E7 but because you are now a Chief Petty Officer. You have not merely been promoted one paygrade, you have joined an exclusive fellowship and, as in all fellowships, you have a special responsibility to your comrades, even as they have a special responsibility to you.

This is why we in the United States Navy may maintain with pride our feelings of accomplishment once we have attained the position of Chief Petty Officer. Your new responsibilities and privileges do not appear in print. They have no official standing; they cannot be referred to by name, number, of file. They have existed for over 100 years, Chiefs before you have freely accepted responsibility beyond the call of printed assignment. Their actions and their performance demanded the respect of their seniors as well as their juniors.

It is now required that you be the fountain of wisdom, the ambassador of good will, the authority in personal relations as well as in technical applications. "Ask the Chief" is a household phrase in and out of the Navy. You are now the Chief. The exalted position you have now achieved - and the word exalted is used advisedly - exists because of the attitude and performance of the Chiefs before you. It shall exist only as long as you and your fellow Chiefs maintain these standards.

It was our intention that you never forget this day. It was our intention to test you, to try you, and to accept you. Your performance has assured us that you will wear "the hat" with the same pride as your comrades in arms before you.

We take a deep and sincere pleasure in clasping your hand, and accepting you as a Chief Petty officer in the United States Navy..

 

United States Navy Chief Petty Officer Creed (Old Creed)

 

During the course of this day, you have been caused to suffer indignities, to experience humiliation. This you have accomplished with rare good grace and, therefore, I now believe it fitting to explain to you why this was done.

There was no intent, and no desire, to demean you nor to insult you. Pointless as it may have seemed to you,

there was a time-honored and valid reason behind every single deed, every single barb.

By experience, by performance and by testing, you have been this day advanced to Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy and only in the United States Navy does E-7 carry unique responsibilites no other armed force throughout the world carries, nor which grants privleges to its enlisted personnel comparable to the privleges and responsibilities you are now bound to observe and are expected to fulfill. Your entire way of life has now been changed. More will be expected of you; more will be demanded of you. Not because you are an E-7, but because you are now a Chief Petty Officer.

You have not merely been promoted one pay grade. You have joined an exclusive fraternity and, as in all fraternities,

you have a responsibility to your brothers even as they have a responsibility to you.

Always bear in mind that no other armed force has rate or rank equivalent to that of the United States Navy.

Granted, that all armed forces have two classes of service: enlisted and commissioned; however, the United States Navy

has the distinction of having four (i.e., Enlisted, Bureau appointed CPO, Bureau appointed Warrent and Commissioned). This is why you can maintain with pride your feeling of superiority once you have attained the position of E-7 in the

United States Navy.

These privleges, these responsibilities do not appear in print. They have no official standing. They cannot be referred to

by name, number nor file. They exist because for over 200 years the Chiefs before you have freely accepted responsibility beyond call of printed assignment and have, by their actions and performance, commanded the respect of their seniors

as well as their juniors.

It is now required that you be a fountain of wisdom, the ambassador of good will, the authority in personnel relations as well as technical application. Ask the Chief is a household phrase, both in and out of the Navy. You are now the Chief.

So this, then, is why you were caused to experience these things. You were subjected to humiliation to prove to you that humility is a good, a great, a necessary attribute which cannot mar you in fact, it strengthens you and, in your future as a Chief Petty Officer, you will be caused to suffer indignities, to experience humiliation far beyond those imposed upon you today. Bear them with the dignity, and with the same good grace, which you bore these today. It is our intention to prove these facts to you. It is our intention that you will never forget this day. It is our intention to test you, to try you, and to accept you. Your performance today has assured us that you will wear your hat with aplomb, as did your brothers in arms before you.

We take a deep, sincere pleasure in clasping your hand, and accepting you as a Chief Petty Officer in the

United States Navy.

 

The Chief Petty Officer Retirement Creed

 

You have on this day, experienced that which comes to all of us who serve on acive duty in "OUR NAVY."

I say "OUR NAVY," because your departure from active duty in no way terminates your relationship.

By law and tradition, U.S. Navy Retirees are always on the rolls ever ready to lend their service when the need arises. The respect that you earned as "The Chief" was based on the same attributes that you will now carry into retirement.

You should have no regrets. Do not view your retirement as an end of an era but rather as orders to a new and challenging assignment, to a form of independent duty. Remember well that you have been, and will always be, an accepted member of the most exclusive of all fraternities - that of the U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officers.

The active duty Chiefs salute you, your retired Chiefs wecome you. I wish you the traditional

"Fair Winds and Following Seas."

 

The Watch

For twenty years
This sailor has stood the watch

While some of us were in our bunks at night
This sailor stood the watch

While some of us were in school learning our trade
This shipmate stood the watch

Yes.. even before some of us were born into this world
This shipmate stood the watch

In those years when the storm clouds of war were seen brewing on the horizon of history
This shipmate stood the watch

Many times he would cast an eye ashore and see his family standing there
Needing his guidance and help
Needing that hand to hold during those hard times
But he still stood the watch

He stood the watch for twenty years
He stood the watch so that we, our families and
Our fellow countrymen could sleep soundly in safety, Each and every night
Knowing that a sailor stood the watch

Today we are here to say
"Shipmate... the watch stands relieved
Relieved by those You have trained, Guided and Lead
Shipmate you stand relieved.. we have the watch..."

"Boatswain..Standby to pipe the side...Shipmate's going Ashore.."

 

 

Sailors Creed

 

I am a United States Sailor. I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America and

I will obey the orders of those appointed over me.

I represent the fighting spirit if the Navy and those who have gone before me to defend freedom and democracy

around the world. 
I proudly serve my country's Navy combat team with honor, courage and commitment. 
I am committed to excellence and the fair treatment of all.