When you visit the office of an attorney, architect, or any other professional you always see a magazine or book of his profession in the lobby or waiting area. Why do you not see this in every chief petty officer mess, both afloat and ashore? Our professional magazine is Proceedings, published by the United States Naval Institute. This is our forum to express our views about issues and concerns pertaining to the maritime services.
The Chief of Naval Operations launched "Sea Power 21" in October 2002 in our maritime professional magazine, and for several months afterward there were explanations of its component parts in each issue. It seems likely that "Sea Power 21" was launched in Proceedings because it is the premier magazine of our profession, and also because it is the best way to get the word out to our sailors. A question that arises, however, is why aren't we all engaging—every month—in the forum that best allows us to address publicly our concerns and the issues that matter to us most?
We are entering the season when we congratulate, welcome, inspire, improve, and motivate chief petty officer selectees while simultaneously teaching leadership, building esprit de corps, promoting unity, building teamwork, and having fun. We are sailors, chiefs, and professionals. Each and every chief petty officer in the Navy should be proud of these titles.
In Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Terry Scott's "Guidance for Chief Petty Officers 2003," he states that if we want the phrase "ask the chief" to remain meaningful in our Navy, we continually must seek opportunities to grow, develop, and succeed. One way to accomplish this is to stay abreast of what is happening in our chosen profession. Our sailors will not "ask the chief" if the chief is not up to date with what is going on in the Navy or his command, whether it is programs, missions, or the "big picture."
As our new chiefs are being welcomed into messes around the world we must ask them, do they consider themselves professionals? When they answer yes, and I am sure they will, ask them what book or magazine they have read lately. Many probably will not answer that they have read our professional magazine, Proceedings.
One measure of any professional is the willingness to engage in a dialogue with peers on issues that pertain to that profession. For chiefs, one way to do this—one of the best ways—is to express our views in our maritime magazine. The chief's mess on my ship has a membership to the Naval Institute and receives Proceedings each month. Our new chiefs will receive a membership in the Naval Institute as part of their welcome to the mess. I challenge every chief's mess to do the same and get engaged in this forum.
Call on your new chiefs to put their thoughts in print and submit them to Proceedings for consideration for publication.
Master Chief Hinson is the Command Master Chief of the USS Wasp (LHD-1). He is a member of the Naval Institute's Board of Directors and Editorial Board.