CHAPTER 2
SENIOR AND MASTER CHIEFS AS PRINCIPAL
ENLISTED ADVISOR
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this chapter, you should be able to do the following:
1.State the roles and functions of the master chief
3.Explain the Fleet, Force, and Command Master
petty officer of the Navy.
Chief Program.
2.State the roles and functions of the Chief of Naval
4.Describe the roles and functions of the command
Operations Master Chief Petty Officer Advisory
Panel.
master chief.
You work hard and do the best you can at
any job given, and suddenly you find yourself
the senior enlisted person in the command. Your
success and promotions have been based mostly
on performance in a rating skill. As you
progress up the ladder of responsibility, you
find yourself moving away from rating
technical skills and into the most technical skill
of all-leading people.
As the senior enlisted person in a command,
with added responsibility as command master
chief, command senior chief, or command
chief, you will suddenly find yourself in a new
arena. You work directly for the commanding
officer but also have a strong tie to the executive
officer. You must enforce and strengthen the
chain of command. To do this, you must work
closely with, and gain the trust of, department
heads and division officers. You must set the
example for and lead the chiefs’ mess. You must
seek out, listen to, and respect your chiefs’
inputs but never give up your responsibility as
the leader.
A 1-hour conversation with an outstanding
command master chief is worth several days of
research.
- AVCM(AW) D. R. Bushey
MCPON
MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER OF
THE NAVY
The Office of the Master Chief Petty Officer of the
Navy (MCPON) was set up in 1966. This was in
response to a recommendation from the Secretary of the
Navy’s Task Force on Navy/Marine Corps personnel
retention. Its function was to provide a direct, unofficial
channel of communication between enlisted personnel
and the senior policy level of the Department of the
Navy (DON).
There has been a revision to the original charter of
the MCPON since set up; however, the change in the
wording has only been done to add additional duties and
responsibilities. We describe the current charter of the
MCPON in the following paragraphs.
The MCPONS assignment is to the immediate
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). The
MCPON, as OP-00A, is the senior enlisted
representative of the Navy and acts as primary enlisted
adviser of the CNO. The MCPON, as OP-01D, advises
the Chief of Naval Personnel (CHNAVPERS) in all
matters concerning active-duty and retired enlisted
members and their dependents. In addition, the MCPON
serves in an advisory capacity on various boards about
enlisted members, including the following:
Chief of Naval Operation’s (CNO’s) Master
Chief Petty Officer (MCPO) Advisory Panel
(chairman)
National Naval Reserve Policy Board (advisor)
Navy Uniform Board (member)
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