 All right, let's make some chiefs. Will the guests please rise for the arrival of the official party and remain standing for the arrival of the FY22 Chief Petty Officer to Relax, the presentation of the colors and the invocation. Boson, post the side boys. Commodant, Naval District Washington arriving. Boson, post the side boys. Distinguished members of the official party, ladies and gentlemen, at this time, it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the Fiscal Year 2022 Naval District Washington Area Chief Petty Officer Selects. Advance the colors for the invocation. Let us pray. Omadi God, we stand before you this morning with gratitude for the lives and the accomplishments of the Chief Petty Officer Selectees. Today, Lord God, we are celebrating their realization of a goal that for many of them started many years ago in boot camp. We are rejoicing for their membership in an elite and select fraternity that for nearly 130 years has stood for leadership, experience, and loyalty. We ask you, dear God, to endow them with confidence, making them humbly aware of their weakness, yet unquestionably sure of their strength. Empower them with the courage which reflects both the depths of their inner strength and the extent of their unfailing trust in your power. Grant that these men and women who are here to be recognized for their achievement and given new status among their peers will give their very best to the Navy, to our nation, and to your Lord. Confer on them the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, and fortitude. Let your spirit bear in them the fruits of joy, peace, patient, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control, so that they may lead with compassion, honor, courage, and commitment. Lord, aid them in becoming true and great deck-plate leaders of the United States Navy. We ask this through your holy and anointed one, amen. Thank you, Chaplain Thevenin. Chief Petty Officers and selects parade, rest. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor now to introduce the Commandant of Naval District, Washington, Rear Admiral Michael J. Stephan. Putting everybody in the seats. Why don't we have the audience sit down? There we go. I guess I'm the Commandant. I can make that Command decision, right? Or select ease, though we're gonna stay at parade rest for now, unless so we can put them at ease. Are we allowed to put them at ease? All right, select ease, at ease. Okay, the path of an enlisted sail in the United States Navy is paved with several milestones. When it comes to advancement, one particular significant milestone is when sailors transition from E6 to E7. While only one rank apart, I cannot overstate just how different the ranks are. Each of the uniform services recognizes the advancement to E7 as a significant milestone in one's career. However, it means so much more in the Navy. We have a unique culture and rich heritage and tradition and those who can meet the challenge are bound by a unique fraternity to which they belong, that of the Chief Petty Officer. Distinguished guests, families, friends and shipmates, it's an honor to be your host for today's ceremony and to welcome you to the Navy Memorial for the pinning of some of the Navy's newest Chief Petty Officers on this fine, beautiful and very crisp fall day. A special welcome to the 25 Chief Selectees who are about to participate in a rich naval tradition going back 128 years. You endured rigorous yet necessary training over the past year. You are tested both physically and mentally. Each of you answer the call with grit, determination and strength. You persevered and grew as a team. The title Chief Petty Officer carries with it the responsibilities and privileges no other armed force in the world grants its enlisted sailors. The Chief Petty Officer's creed says it best. Your entire way of life has changed. Everyone will not only expect more of you but also demanded. Chiefs are the leaders we look to for answers. A common phrase in the Navy when anyone is looking for a solution is ask the Chief. You will be the technical expert in your field. You will be an authority, a role model and the backbone of the Navy. You will be a Chief Petty Officer today and forever. Bravo Zulu to the Chief's mess for grooming this new crop of Chiefs. And a special thanks to the CPO season chairs, Senior Chief Caldera, Senior Chief Arletta and Chief Deucon and all the committee leads for ensuring a successful Chief season despite the constraints of the pandemic. I also want to thank the Navy Memorial for supporting our event today. As your host, I have the privilege of introducing today's guest speaker. He is a Master Chief Petty Officer who exemplifies the Chief Petty Officer creed. It is my pleasure to introduce Force Master Chief Gregory Vidari. Well, good morning. Admiral Steppen, Retire Admiral Cox, Generals, Senior Executives, Chiefs, Officers, Family and Friends. It is my distinct honor to be with all of you this morning as we join together to honor and celebrate the significant milestone with class 128, the FY22 Navy District Washington Chief Petty Officers and their families. I think we can all agree on two things this morning. One, it's a little cold out here. And two, today should be a day of celebration and not long speeches. So with that in mind, I'm gonna keep my remarks short. Before I get started, it is important that I recognize those who built the mess we serve in today, our retired Chief Petty Officers. Their presence here this morning reminds us all that leading sailors ashore in its sea has remained a privilege from one generation to the next. As I mentioned, we are gathered here this morning to celebrate and welcome the FY22 Chief Petty Officers. But before I address the newest members of our mess, I wanna take a few moments to acknowledge and recognize a few special individuals. First and foremost, we must recognize our group more important than those we honor today. They sacrifice beyond a call of duty so that our new chiefs may leave from the front. Please join me in a round of applause for the spouses, significant others, and family members of the FY22 Navy District Washington Chief Petty Officers. To the members of the CPO mess, especially our CPO initiation coordinators, sponsors, committee leads, thank you for your personal dedication and involvement in the continued development of the FY22 Chief Petty Officers. It is very evident that a lot of hard work went into planning CPO initiation. From our initial meet and greet to today's event, your hard work has certainly paid off. Thank you all very much. Finally, to those we honor today, the FY22 Chief Petty Officers. Today, you join the oldest and most respected military fraternity and naval service, envied by all other military services, the Chief Petty Officers community. In the United States Navy, the title Chief Petty Officer carries with it responsibilities and privileges, no other armed force in the world grants enlisted personnel. These responsibilities and privileges exist because for more than 128 years, chiefs before you have routinely seeked out greater challenges and assume more responsibility. The anchors you are about to wear are sacred. They are an important symbol of who we are and what we represent. We charge you to wear them with the respect, dignity and honor they deserve. Wear them with pride. From this day forward, everybody will know your name. Chief. Everyone will quote you verbatim. The Chief said, everybody will do as you direct. The Chief wants. You will find now you do not have the ability to suggest. A suggestion made by the Chief instantly becomes the gospel to your sailors. Something else magical is going to happen. When you arrive at work on Monday morning, nobody will ever say, he's a new Chief. Or she just made Chief ask somebody else. Suddenly, everyone listens. Suddenly, everyone watches. Suddenly, everyone sees. Suddenly, you have always been the Chief. You must now realize and be acutely aware that all eyes are upon you. As we speak, there is a semen who will need your compassion. A first class petty officer who will need your mentorship. A young division officer who will need your guidance. A fellow Chief who will need your shoulder to lean on. A commanding officer who will need your answer. And all of them will need your leadership. And leadership is what we're all about. It's the art of accomplishing a Navy's mission through people. There is nothing magical about it. You don't have to be born with leadership ability, inherited from your ancestors, or study it from the deep, from the old dusty school books. Leadership is all about people. Today, each of you into the greatest leadership laboratory ever devised, the Chief Petty Officer's Mest. If you just try to emulate a few simple qualities that distinguish a great Chief, your sailors will follow. It has been said that the higher you advance, the less you can control. However, the one thing you always have control over is your attitude. Strive to be that Chief you always dream to be. The kind your sailors will trust, emulate, and look up to. Always remain positive with your attitude and your character. Always be honest. Be honest to your family. Be honest to your sailors. Be honest to your fellow Chiefs. The members of the Wardroom, your commanding officer. Most importantly, be honest to yourself, even if it hurts. It is that honesty that builds character. And always remember, character makes trust possible and trust makes leadership possible. As a Chief, you will make mistakes. We all do, but never compromise your integrity. That is one virtue that can never be restored. It is often said that Chiefs run the Navy, but I know for a fact, as many as you do, we do not run the Navy. We are the deck plate leadership of the Navy and collectively of Chiefs, we make our Navy run. Our Navy needs each of you more now, more than ever. Technology, budget reductions, and the unprecedented pandemic will never replace people. As long as there are sailors, there will always be Chief Petty officers to develop, lead, guide, mentor, and direct them. As long as there are junior officers, there will always be Chief Petty officers to provide them with those life lessons not taught in classrooms or books. No matter how far technology advances or right-sized Navy we become, we will always need that time-honored, life-tested, battle-worn, deck-plate Chief Petty officer always on watch, making sure there is a steady hand on the helm and one eye on the horizon. It is now your responsibility to ensure that we never lose or give away that which we have worked so hard to achieve. You must be ever watchful of what we have earned. To all Chiefs here today, and especially the FY22 Chief Petty officers, we must continue to demand more, more responsibility, more accountability, and most importantly, more from each other. The stakes are high, but we as Chiefs have never been afraid to pay that price. For the last 128 years, our sailors have heard the phrase, ask the Chief. To you, I would say, don't wait to be asked. Congratulations to each and every one of you. I wish you all the best. May God bless you, your families, and our Navy. Thank you. And thank you, Force Master Chief Vidari. Bosen, post the side boys. One of the distinctive trademarks of the American Blue Jacket Sailor is the white hat, which symbolizes a long and proud tradition of the Navy's core values of honor, courage, and commitment. However, these sailors assembled here today no longer wear that cover. Instead, as our selects ascend to the rank of Chief Petty Officer, they will don a new cover. It's a symbol of their position and responsibility, representing an equally long and proud tradition of service. And it is also tradition that the sponsor of the new Chief Petty Officer presents the new cover to the new Chief. At this time, the selects will be pinned by their distinguished guests and will be covered by their sponsors. Chief Petty Officers and selects, attention! Chief selects Devine, Trask, Billips, and Lee, front and center. Chief select Devine will be pinned by wife Jofer and Chief Shanika Mays. He'll be covered by his sponsor, Chief Lester Overton. Chief select Trask will be pinned by wife Cassidi and son Harrison. He'll be covered by his sponsor, Senior Chief Aaron Paul. Chief select Billips will be pinned by her brothers Dwight Jackson and Kenneth Womack, and covered by her sponsor, Senior Chief Andamo McCullough. Chief select Lee will be pinned by Uncle Cedric Lee and by Chief Nathan Hayes. He's being covered by his sponsor, Chief Brendan Serduke. Chief Yeoman, Surface Warfare, Josh Devine, arriving. Chief Intelligent Specialist, Information Warfare, Expeditionary Warfare, Tim, Trask, arriving. Chief Yeoman, Surface Warfare, Air Warfare, Crystal, Billips, arriving. Chief Mass Communication Specialist, Surface Warfare, Air Warfare, Expeditionary Warfare, Tory Lee, arriving. Chief select Arlen, Kerp, Boggs and Baker, front and center. Chief select Arlen will be pinned by wife Edlin and Chief Justin Rummel, and he'll be covered by his sponsor, Chief Leanne Schott. Chief select Kerp will be pinned by his wife Christina, his son Jack, and by Chief Marquise Gavin. He'll be covered by his sponsor, Chief Johnny Dills. Chief select Boggs will be pinned by retired Chief JD Smith and Mr. David Bozak. He'll be covered by his sponsor, Chief Chad Fields. Chief select Baker will be pinned by his wife Claudia and Grandfather Richard. He'll be covered by his co-sponsor, Chief Michael Carrillo. Chief Construction Electrician, CB Combat Warfare, Expeditionary Warfare, Christopher Arlen, arriving. Chief Intelligent Specialist, Information Warfare, Surface Warfare, Air Warfare, Justin Kerp, arriving. Chief Master at Arms, Expeditionary Warfare, Christopher Boggs, arriving. Chief Logistics Specialist, Submarines, Submarine Warfare, Keith Baker, arriving. Chief select Waite, Williams, Tittle, and Featherston, front and center. Chief select Waite will be pinned by his wife Cara and Senior Chief Cougan Kennedy. He'll be covered by his sponsor, Senior Chief Mike Bettencourt. Chief select Williams will be pinned by his wife Sonia and son Don, and his mother, and his mother Leona Stirrup. He'll be covered by his sponsor, Master Chief Dominic Grimaldi. Chief select Tittle will be pinned by his wife Nicole and his brother Jake, and he'll be covered by his sponsor, Chief Henry Wendelin. Chief select Featherston will be pinned by his wife Vanessa and his mother Melanie Gallegos. He'll be covered by his sponsor, Master Chief Louis Alvarez. Chief Steelworker, CP Combat Warfare, Jordan Waite, arriving. Chief Yeoman, Submarines, Submarine Warfare, Brian Williams, arriving. Chief Intelligent Specialist, Information Warfare, Expeditionary Warfare, Surface Warfare, Douglas, Tittle, arriving. Chief Steelworker, CP Combat Warfare, Expeditionary Warfare, Michael Featherston, arriving. Chief select Peña, Gleason, Ombry, and Tirabasi, front and center. Chief select Peña will be pinned by Senior Chief Ashley Aldiger and Chief Brandon Sullivan. He's being covered by his sponsor, Chief Matt Fitzgerald. Chief select Gleason will be pinned by Senior Chief Betancourt, Chief Christina Pruitt, and his children, Damon, Maya, and Troy. He's being covered by his sponsor, Chief Patrick Jones. Chief select Ombry will be pinned by his wife Shannon and brother David Weaver. He's being covered by his sponsor, Chief Adam Voate. Chief select Tirabasi will be pinned by Chief Blake Keller and Chief Frida Karani. He'll be covered by his sponsor, Senior Chief Shannon Wallace. Chief Hospital Corpsman, Fleet Marine Force, Ivan, Peña, arriving. Chief Construction Electrician, CP Combat Warfare, Damon, Gleason, arriving. Chief Hospital Corpsman, Expeditionary Warfare, Surface Warfare, Fleet Marine Force, Christopher Ombry, arriving. Chief Culinary Specialist, Surface Warfare, Cameron Tirabasi, arriving. Chief select Connolly, Damon, Fernandez, and Meetot, front and center. Chief select Connolly will be pinned by his wife Fernanda, his mother Mary, brother Danny, and Senior Chief Rand McGee. He'll be covered by his sponsor, Chief Manny Hernandez. Chief select Damon will be pinned by his wife Christina, and Chief Caleb Johnson Burroughs. He's being covered by his sponsor, Chief Ricky Esteban. Chief select Fernandez will be pinned by his wife Alexis and daughter Ava. He's being covered by Chief Anthony Rizzardini. Chief select Meetot will be pinned by her brothers, Mark and William, as well as by Senior Chief John Grignere. She'll be covered by her sponsor, Chief Anthony Grow. Chief Intelligence Specialist, Chris Connolly, arriving. Chief Yeoman, Expeditionary Warfare, Information Warfare, Surface Warfare, Elliot Damon, arriving. Chief Hospital Corpsman, Fleet Marine Force, Surface Warfare, Air Warfare, Vince Fernandez, arriving. Chief Construction Mechanic, CB Combat Warfare, Expeditionary Warfare, Air Warfare, Samantha Meetot, arriving. Chief select Clupichek, Pappas, Johnson, Collins, and Benasa, front and center. Chief select Clupichek will be pinned by retired Chief Allen Eggleston and Chief Gafayet Moradeo. She'll be covered by her sponsor, Senior Chief Scott Jones. Chief select Pappas will be pinned by his brother, Lieutenant Junior Grade Andrew Pappas, as well as by Senior Chief Dwayne Postler. And he'll be covered by his sponsor, Senior Chief Cindy Garza. Chief select Johnson is being pinned by wife Amber and daughter Parker. He'll be covered by Chief Sheena Sheard. Chief select Collins is being pinned by her sisters, Renita and Jessica, as well as by Chief Billy Miller. And she's being covered by her sponsor, Senior Chief Harry Haladen. Chief select Benasa is being pinned by his parents, Julian Tony, his son Kiko, and his sister, Atara. He'll be covered by his sponsor, Chief Yancey Forbes. Chief Steelworker, CB Combat Warfare, Expeditionary Warfare, Cheyenne Clupichek, arriving. Chief Hospital Corpsman, Fleet Marine Force, Michael Pappas, arriving. Chief Missile Technician, Submarine Warfare, Tremaine Johnson, arriving. Chief Culinary Specialist, Surface Warfare, Air Warfare, Renata Collins, arriving. Chief Sonar Technician, Submarine Warfare, Artemio Benasa, arriving. Bosen, post the side boys. I will now read the fracking letter. Authority to assume the title and wear the uniform of a Chief Petty Officer. Per the Military Personnel Manual, section 1420, tax 060, you are now authorized to assume the title and wear the uniform of a Chief Petty Officer effective immediately. Your appointment carries with it the obligation that you exercise increased authority and willingly accept greater responsibility. Occupying now a position of greater authority, you must strive with renewed dedication toward the value ideal of service with honor. Per the Military Personnel Manual, you will not be entitled to pay another monetary allowances of a Chief Petty Officer until actually advanced to the pay grade for which you've been selected. Ladies and gentlemen, it is now my honor to present to you the fiscal year 2022 Naval District Washington Area Chief Petty Officers. And now, Master Chief Sanya Walker will read the Chief Petty Officer Creed. All Chiefs, Chief Petty Officers, active, retired and honorary attention to the Creed. During the course of initiation, you have been caused to humbly accept challenges and face adversity. This you have accomplished with rare good grace. Partners as some of these challenges may have seen, they were valid time-honored reasons behind each partner. Your faith in the fellowship of Chief Petty Officers was necessary to overcome these hurdles. The goal was to instill in you that trust is inerrant with the donning of the uniform of a Chief. Our intent was to impress upon you that challenge is good. A great and necessary reality which cannot mar you, which in fact strengthens you. In your future as a Chief Petty Officer, you will be forced to endure adversity far beyond what has thus far been imposed upon you. You must face each challenge and adversity with the same dignity and good grace you have already demonstrated. By experience, by performance, and by testing you have been advanced to Chief Petty Officer. In the United States Navy, and only in the United States Navy, the rank of E7 carries with it unique responsibilities and privileges you are expected to fulfill and bound to observe. Your entire way of life is changed. More will be expected of you. More will be demanded of you. Not because you are at E7, but because you are now a Chief Petty Officer. You have not merely been promoted a pay grade, you have joined an elusive fellowship and as in all fellowships, you have the responsibility to your comrades, even as they have a special responsibility to you. This is why we in the United States Navy with pride and our feelings of accomplishments, once we have attained the position of Chief Petty Officer, your responsibilities and privileges do not appear in print. They have no official standing. They cannot be referred to by name, number, nor file. They have existed for over a hundred years because she's before you have freely accepted responsibility beyond the call of printed assignment. Their actions and their performance demanded the respect of their seniors as well as their juniors. It is required that you be the fountain of wisdom, the ambassador of goodwill, the authority and personal relations as well as in technical applications. X, the Chief is a household phrase in and out the Navy. You are the Chief, the exalted position you have achieved and I use the word exalted advisedly. Exists because of the service, character and performance of Chiefs before you. It shall only exist as long as you and your fellow Chiefs maintain these standards. It was our intention that you never forget this day. It was our intention to test you, to try you and to accept you. Your performance has assured us that you will wear the hat with the same pride as your comrades in arms before you. We take deep and sincere pleasure in clasping your hand and accepting you as a Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy. Thank you, Master Chief Walker. Ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing for the benediction and sailors creed and remain standing for the departure of the official party. Let us pray. Omari God, we ask that you assist with your spirit of prudence and temperance, the new Chief Petty Officers, as they take on the awesome responsibility to lead with courage and respect. May the shorelines of freedom never be out of their sight. During stormy seas, be there calm. In the waters of uncertainty and adversity, be there anchor. In navigation, be there chart. As they are inducted into the Chief Mess, grant them Lord confidence and ability to lead our Navy into the future. May they never compromise on honor, courage and commitment. As every officer and enlisted know the simple phrase as the Chief, help these new Chiefs to be the fount of all wisdom. May their answers, solicited or not, motivate, mentor, counsel and advise. By their answers and their actions, may they make profound and lasting differences in many lives and contribute to the traditions, values and success of our Navy and our nation for years to come. Amen. Thank you, Chaplain Thevenin. Attention to the sailor's creed! Posting, post the side boys. As I'm posting the side boys and before I depart, I need to thank two sets of folks that I failed to mention at the beginning. The first is a personal thank you and a group thank you to Master Chief Hotgraver, my command master chief at NDW. Andy Hotgraver has brought the region together and helped facilitate this outstanding initiation season in this wonderful ceremony you see here today. So I'd like a round of applause for Master Chief Hotgraver. Master Chief, I appreciate your leadership every day and thank you for what you've done here and continue to lead and be the embodiment of what a Chief Petty Officer is. The second group I'd like to say to all the families here, without you, what we do in the Navy is not possible. And you are as much a part of this ceremony as the Chief Petty Officers that we just pinned today. And I hope you realize that and I hope you enjoy as much of this ceremony as the Chief Petty Officers up here on the stand. And with that, thank you all so much today for being part of our ceremony. God bless. Commandant, Naval District Washington, departing. Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes today's ceremony. Please take a moment to congratulate our newest Chief Petty Officers. Stay warm and have a fine Navy day.