By Robert Fluegel

Special to the News-Herald

Navy Network Warfare Command, Naval Information Forces and Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command hosted a joint Chief Petty Officer 365 Phase 1 Completion Ceremony at the Information Corps Hall of Heroes auditorium in Suffolk earlier this month Aug. 3.

NAVIFOR Force Master Chief Toby Ruiz delivered the ceremony’s opening remarks and introduced the guest speaker.

The 11th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Joe R. Campa served as guest speaker for the event and addressed more than 100 chiefs, chief selectees and first class petty officers from the three commands.

U.S. Fleet Forces Fleet Master Chief Paul Kingsbury and Navy historian retired Master Chief Information Systems Technician Jim Leuci were special guests for the ceremony.

Kingsbury gave a presentation on the history of chief petty officer traditions through the years.

“Chiefs have an immense impact on every sailor’s life,” Campa said. “I can’t stress enough the importance of good leadership and guidance with young sailors.”

Campa also discussed the importance of being a chief, and he described some of the hardships chiefs may face during their career.

“People look at our men and women with admiration,” said Campa. “Every sailor should be proud to wear the uniform of our country. As a veteran and an American citizen looking from the outside in, it makes me very proud to have been a part of the Navy and to see the passion in every sailor I meet.”

CPO 365 is a yearlong training program to help prepare first class petty officers to become chief petty officers. Phase 1 starts after the CPO pinning ceremony and runs until the next year’s selection results are announced. Phase 2 begins with the announcement of CPO selectees on a given year and concludes the day of the pinning ceremony.

“The ultimate goal of Phase 1 was to introduce meaningful and practical training scenarios, and have candid conversations that reflected some of the real-time leadership challenges that chiefs face on a routine basis,” said Ruiz.

“The beauty of CPO 365 Phase 1 was that we always had changes going on with our Navy programs, procedures and policies, and that keeps us consistently on the ‘Alert 5.’ Therefore the training was always relevant, never be stagnant, and was constantly evolving.”

The ceremony concluded with CPO Phase 1 graduation certificates being given to all of the FCPOs and a cake-cutting ceremony.

The rank of CPO is that of a senior non-commissioned officer, and was established on April 1, 1893, for the United States Navy. CPOs serve a dual role as both technical experts and as leaders.