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Chief Petty Officer is a noncommissioned officer or equivalent in many navies.
Royal Navy
In the Royal Navy, the rank of Chief Petty Officer comes above that of Petty Officer and below that of Warrant Officer Class 2. It is the equivalent of Colour Sergeant in the Royal Marines, Staff Sergeant in the Army, and Flight Sergeant in the Royal Air Force.
United States Navy
Good conduct
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Chief
Petty Officer
insignia
Unlike Petty Officer First Class and lower ranks, advancement to Chief Petty Officer not only carries requirements of time in service, superior evaluation scores, and specialty examinations, but also carries an added requirement of peer review. A Petty Officer First Class can only advance after review by a selection board of serving Senior and Master Chief Petty Officers, in effect "choosing their own."
Advancement into the Chief Petty Officer grades is the most significant promotion within the enlisted Navy ranks. At the rank of Chief, the sailor takes on more administrative duties. Their uniform changes to reflect this change of duty, becoming similar to that of an officer, albeit with different insignia. Sailors in the three Chief Petty Officer ranks also have conspicuous privileges such as separate dining and living areas. Any Navy ship of sufficient size has a room or rooms that are off-limits to anyone not a Chief (including officers) except by specific invitation. In Navy jargon, this room is called the Chief's Mess, or tongue in cheek, the "goat locker." In addition, a Chief Petty Officer, no matter how much he was on "first name" basis with other petty officers before promotion, is always addressed as "Chief" by subordinates.
Chief Petty Officers serve a dual role as both technical experts and as leaders, with the emphasis being more on leadership as they progress through the CPO ranks. Like Petty Officers, every chief has both a rate (rank) and rating (job, similar to an MOS in other branches). A chief's full title is a combination of the two. Thus, a Chief Petty Officer, who has the rating of Machinist's Mate would properly be called a Chief Machinist's Mate.
Each rating has an official abbreviation, such as MM for Machinist's Mate, QM for Quartermaster, or YN for Yeoman. When combined with the petty officer level, this gives the short-hand for the chief's rank, such as BMC for Chief Boatswain's Mate. It is not uncommon practice to refer to the chief by this short hand in all but the most formal correspondence (such as printing and inscription on awards). Mostly, though, they are simply called "Chief," regardless of rating.
The rating insignia for a CPO is an eagle with spread wings above three chevrons. The chevrons are topped by a rocker that goes behind the eagle (or "crow," as it is commonly called). This is used on the Dress Blue uniform. On all other uniforms, the insignia used is the one that has become universally accepted as the symbol of the Chief Petty Officer. This is a fouled (entwined in the anchor chain) gold anchor superimposed with a silver "USN."
Collectively, officers and chiefs are referred to as "khakis." This is a reference to the color of their most common shipboard "working" uniforms, and is a direct contrast to those in paygrades E-6 and below (or, blueshirts).
Punitive reduction in rank
Chief, Senior Chief and Master Chief Petty Officers can only be punitively reduced in rank following conviction by a court martial, and is the only enlisted rank in any of the military branches where the member is appointed to that rankIndoctrination and initiation
Previously, once selected for advancement to Chief, the selectee was made to endure a period of instruction and screening by his or her cognizant Chief's Quarters. The selectee was assigned a "Sea Dad" who oversaw the selectee's indoctrination. A "charge book", decorated in the manner dictated by the Sea Dad, was presented for signature to every Chief, Senior Chief and Master Chief in the local area. These chiefs would provide written tasks, ask questions or just degrade the selectee. The chiefs would also assess fines and levee "criminal charges" written in the selectee's charge book. The charge book would be taken into evidence by the at the end of this Indoctrination Period. The Indoctrination Period would culminate with the Initiation.Initiation would begin midnight of the day of frocking and would last through the night and until midday. Selectees were ordered to muster in their dungaree uniforms with the "Dixie Cup" sailor's hat. Initiation rites are similar to the old U.S. Navy tradition of Shellback initiation but tailored for the chief's community. At some point during the initiation, the selectee's Dixie Cup is laid to rest and usually eulogized by the selectee. This represents the transition into the chief's community.
Initiations were attended only by active duty and retired chiefs. During initiation the Selectee would stand before "The Kangaroo Court" and be judged of his crimes as read from his charge book. The sentences varied by the severity of the crimes. "Punishment" was carried out as part of the initiation.
After initiation, the selectees were then recognized by their peers as fellow Chief Petty Officers and welcomed into the "Chief's Quarters" (goat locker). The selectees were then allowed to bathe and don their new Khaki uniforms, sans collar devices and Combination Caps.
Due to the Navy's policy governing hazing and harassment, the Indoctrination Period has been replaced, over the last few years, with formal classroom and physical training. The same applies to the Initiation.
Most "Old Chiefs" look at the new Indoctrination and Initiation Period as a watered-down version, ruined by the actions of a few who took the initiations too far.
Frocking of the new Chief was and is conducted by his or her Commanding Officer where his or her "Anchors" are pinned on and he or she is presented with their Combinaton Cap by the Chief's Quarters.
In some contexts, a Chief Petty Officer can refer to the class of non-commissioned ranks of this rank and higher:
- Chief Petty Officer
- Senior Chief Petty Officer
- Master Chief Petty Officer
See also
External links
Military ranks of the Commonwealth | Military ranks of Australia | Military ranks of Canada | Military ranks of the United Kingdom | Military ranks of the United States Navy
"Chief Petty Officer"