Since becoming a US Navy Chief

Nine years ago, after returning from ten years of shore duty; I stepped onto the Mess Decks of the USS Carl Vinson. It was my first time to wear my Khaki Uniform and lead my Sailors as a US Navy Chief. I remember the Sailor's looking at the flat screens throughout the messdecks as they watched CNN replaying the scenes of each plane crashing into the twin towers and then the collapse of both towers. The looks on the faces of these young Sailors were of disbelief, worry and most of all Fear. However surreal it was, I had to gather my composure and get these Sailors to focus on our tasking of responding to this tragic and cowardly act. We were two months into our deployment and were about to head into the Persian Gulf, when on Sept 11, 2001 our ship was diverted to the North Arabian Sea and on October 7, 2001 our Carrier Strike Group launched the first airstrikes in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Since then I have lead my Sailors to faithfully do their jobs just as if we were in the frontlines. Maybe it was my destiny to face the challenges and be the one taking these young American men and women into the War on Terrorism campaign. Nine years later after three ships, an overseas duty providing support to forwardly deployed units, and finally on shore duty. I am faced with the fact that my career as a US Navy Senior Chief may be coming close to retirement. For twenty two years I've been proudly serving in our nation's greatest Navy. This is all that I've been doing since leaving Saipan back in 1986. A sombering fact that I will soon transition into the civilian workforce.

It truly has been rewarding getting out of my skin and taking on the task to train, groom and lead Sailors during the past 9 years as a Navy Chief. A very humbling experience as well to have the honor of serving this great country of ours called the United States of America. Who would have thought that this island boy would be destined leading Sailors into almost a decade of war. Every year since then when the commemoration of September 11 comes around, it falls during the Chief Select training season. Every year I commit to the Chief's Mess to be a part of initiating, inducting, transitioning and accepting Chief Selects become US Navy Chiefs and to honorably enter the Chief's Mess. For nine years I have been training Chiefs to eventually take my place and continue what I have been doing since September 11, 2001.

For the rest of my life I will forever remember the day after I became a US Navy Chief because it was on Sept 11, 2001. Even though I will no longer wear the Khaki Uniform with my Anchors, I will still live on to remember the significance of when I started my commitment in being a US Navy Chief. Hundreds of my former shipmates will have never reached as far as I have and although I leave them behind; I have them to thank for being a US Navy Senior Chief. To the Sailors who have become Chiefs under my charge and careful training, thank you and keep it up. Train the new Chief Selects and proudly bring them into our Chief's Mess. Together we will make this Navy stronger and smarter. Together as a united Chief's Mess we can take our young men and women to take this fight for another decade(God willing) so we can continue living in this wonderful country of ours with the freedoms we all enjoy.