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Foreword
Acknowledgments
1.
The Pulsetakers
2.
The First: Master Chief Petty Officer
of the Navy
Delbert D. Black
January 13, 1967 - April 1, 197
3.
Zumwalt's MCPON: Master Chief
Petty Officer of the Navy
John "Jack" Whittet
April 1, 1971 - September 25, 1975
4.
Middle of the Road: Master
Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Robert "Bob" Walker
September 25,1975 - September 28,1979
5.
Pride and Professionalism: Master
Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Thomas S. Crow
September 28, 1979 - October 1, 1982
6.
Doing the Right Thing: Master
Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Billy C. Sanders
October 1, 1982 - October 4, 1985
7.
Leadership Development: Master
Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
William H. Plackett
October 4, 1985 - September 9, 1988
8.
Quality of Life: Master Chief Petty
Officer of the Navy
Duane R. Bushey
September 9, 1988 - August 28, 1992
9.
The Rest of the Team:
Spouses, Staff and Friends
10.
People Not Machines
About
the Author
When the Office of the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy was created in
1967, the U.S. Navy took a giant step forward in untapping the leadership
capabilities of its enlisted force. In the act of adding an extra gold star
to a master chiefs crow, the senior levels of command were, in effect,
saying to the enlisted community, we respect and value your opinion, we need
your input, and we will listen and act.
And just as they have met the challenges of war and peace for more than two
centuries, the enlisted community has responded in a way that not only
silenced the "doubting Thomases," but amazed those who initially believed.
No one could have known 25 years ago that the office would grow into the
position of influence and credibility it enjoys today. No officer,
regardless of his position in the chain of command or Washington bureau,
demands more respect, gains quicker access, or is listened to more intently
than the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy. Wise Congressmen,
Secretaries of Defense and the Navy, Chiefs of Naval Operations, and Naval
Personnel and many, many others have benefited from the sage counsel of the
MCPON. For his voice is not only the voice of personal experience, but of
the broad and ever-changing spectrum of the enlisted experience.
Today, when there are so many
avenues of communication open to the modern Navy sailors, it is difficult to
imagine the breadth and depth of the gap that the first MCPON was asked to
bridge in 1967. Among the most, rewarding memories of my naval career are
those snapshots of time spent listening to sailors. Whether they were
manning riverboats in Vietnam or the engine room of a destroyer underway, If
I could get them to talk, I always learned something. But the sailor of the
Sixties rarely had the opportunity to speak to someone who could make the
changes they suggested, or at least, expressed interest in what they had to
say. We were far too busy running our
ships, balancing our accounts, or
making ourselves look good for the promotion boards. And, if by some
miracle, we did validate a sailor's suggestion by making the recommended
change, we kept the credit for ourselves. As a result, sailors stopped
talking and started walking. .right out the door. Or they stayed and
convinced younger, impressionable shipmates that no one "up above" gave a
damn about what he or she thought.
That's where the Master Chief
Petty Officer of the Navy came in. He went out to the Fleet with a message:
"We do care and if you will tell me what's on your mind, I'll make sure that
someone listens." I had the honor of working with Delbert Black and Jack
Whittet, the first and second Master Chief Petty Officers of the Navy. What
giants they were!
Like so many other good ideas
that take years to ripen, the MCPON did not work overnight miracles. But, as
those of us who have spent our careers as officers know well, there is no
one more patient or more persistent than a chief with a mission. He might
yell and cuss, bang on tables or stomp a few toes, but eventually, he will
get what he wants. .if you give him the time and resources.
Between Delbert Black and Duane
Bushey, 25 years have passed. Seven Master Chiefs have worn that extra star
on their sleeve. They earned that star in much the same way they earned
their first crow as a petty officer . They were tested and approved. Once
they had the title, they had to earn it.
Credibility gained as a petty
officer must grow with each added stripe. Add an anchor, more to prove, add
a star, still more. But add that third star and you are out in "no man's
land." Those junior to you are looking up, perhaps holding you, perhaps
pulling you down. Those above may extend a hand of confidence or, lacking
confidence in their own abilities, try to push you down. Seven men have
survived "the winds of change." They learned when to bend and when to stand
firm. They adjusted, adapted, and adhered. Nonetheless, they refused to
.change one common denominator that has served them well throughout their
voyage to the top. They continued to practice loyalty up, and loyalty down.
They learned a keen sense of balance on the high wire on which we placed
them: that bridge between the Officers and the Enlisted.
With this history, marking the
25th Anniversary of the Office of the Master Chief Petty Officer of the N
avy , we gain insight into the job, the men who have held the title, their
joint and singular accomplishments, the support system they developed over
the years, the organization, and, last, but not least, the leadership
capabilities of the world's finest enlisted community. In each and every
sailor serving the U. S. Navy today lies the potential to be a Master Chief
Petty Officer of the Navy and the opportunity to make the world's finest
Navy just a bit better for their shipmates.
Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt,
U. S. Navy (Ret.)
Chief of Naval Operations
(1970-1974)
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Preserving San Diego's Naval Heritage
