Camp Lemmonier Pins New Chief Petty Officers
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A CEREMONY TAKES PLACE EVERY SEPTEMBER, WHERE A SELECT NUMBER OF SAILORS EARN THE RIGHT
TO PIN ON THEIR ANCHORS AT THE CHIEF PETTY OFFICERS PINNING CEREMONY. THIS CEREMONY TAKES
PLACE AROUND THE WORLD, AND THE DEPLOYED ENVIRONMENT OF CAMP LEMMONIER, DJIBOUTI, IS NO EXCEPTION.
"THIS IS A TRANSITION BEYOND A MERE UNIFORM CHANGE AND AN INCREASE IN PAY AND RESPONSIBILITY.
IT'S A LITERAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE HUMAN HEART AND MIND. YOU ARE HERE TODAY BECAUSE
YOUR NAVY SELECTED YOU AND YOUR FELLOW CHIEFS, NOW YOUR PEERS, SAY YOU ARE WORTH OF WEARING
A CHIEFS ANCHOR ON YOUR COLLAR."
WITH THIS NEW RANK, COME MORE RESPONSIBILITIES. CHIEFS ARE LOOKED TO AS MENTORS FOR GUIDANCE
AND LEADERSHIP BY JUNIOR OFFICERS AND ENLISTED. WITH THE PINNING CEREMONY BEING THE FINAL
STEP OF THE INDUCTION PROCESS, THESE NEW CHIEF PETTY OFFICERS HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING
OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHIEF.
"I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S MORE RESPONSIBILITIES. EVERYTHING STARTS TODAY. FROM NOW UNTIL THE
DAY THAT I LEAVE THE NAVY, AND EVEN AFTER I LEAVE THE NAVY, A CHIEF IS A CHIEF IS A
CHIEF. SO EVEN AFTER THEN I'LL STILL HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES TO MY SAILORS AND ALSO TO
MY COMMUNITY."
READY TO CONTINUE THE CHIEF PETTY OFFICER LEGACY, THESE NEW CHIEFS WILL PASS ON NAVY
LEADERSHIP, HERITAGE AND TRADITION TO THIER JUNIOR SAILORS. FOR COMBINED JOINT TASK FORCE
HORN OF AFRICA PUBLIC AFFAIRS, I'M STAFF SERGEANT SARA WEEKS.
