Having a solid chief petty officers (CPOs) mess is the difference between a good ship and a great ship. As an entity in a ship's company, the chiefs tend to run to extremes. They seem either to be running the ship or holing up in the mess and griping.
The CPOs mess can come together easier than the wardroom, where there are great differences in age and experience. The chiefs are a much more homogenous team in terms of accomplishment as well as experience. Yet that team of mature professionals can be less than the sum of its parts if not treated with respect and challenged by high expectations.
Officers sometimes bypass the chiefs unwittingly, issuing commands and policies that the CPOs hear about over the I-MC address system, at morning quarters, in the plan of the day, or—horror of horrors—from a seaman. If this approach becomes routine, it is sure to induce retreats to chiefs' country and pouting. In matters of station and pecking order, military people can have incredibly thin skins. Although officers do not always have time to consult with chiefs, in fact they usually do have the time. At best, an order can be modified and improved or executed more smoothly; at least, there is goodwill to be accrued—an investment no officer will regret.
On occasion, the CPOs mess may have too many "boot" chiefs—small ships are especially vulnerable in this regard, and their executive officers (XOs) must therefore stay attuned. The mess needs veteran voices around the table; any new chief needs time to adjust to the scheme of things. (Many wardrooms make the mistake of electing new officers to mess treasurer duties and then grumble that the wardroom is not run properly.) No doubt, CPOs are going to eat better than the officers, but they will not know how to work well with the wardroom unless a seasoned chief is there to show them the ropes.
The command should challenge the CPOs mess as a team. I never saw a group of chiefs who did not exceed the expectations of the commanding officer (or XO) who met with them, laid out goals, solicited advice, and told them to get on with it. At the same time, it is essential to make clear that they are responsible for the task at hand—from engine overhaul, to "steel beach" barbecue, to disciplinary action. Both trust and accountability must be assumed, and the command's expectations must be high. The CPOs' pride and professionalism are powerful forces. When I told a chief how pleased I was with engineering progress during an intense period in port, he replied, "You said what you wanted and then trusted your chiefs, Captain."
As matters of courtesy and goodwill, it is essential to make sure visitors are informed of the high degree of trust vested in the chiefs. One time, my ship was at sea with observers in the CPOs mess. Before I announced a major change in schedule to all hands, I knocked loudly on the mess door (three times, of course), stuck my head in, and politely told them what was up. The gesture was not lost on the visitors or the chiefs.
One of my best mentors explained to his officers that he never cared to be placed in a position of having to decide between an officer and a chief. His message was: you will work with the CPOs mess; I do not intend to be an arbitrator. That commonsense message struck home and made my XO duties much easier. On one occasion, I thought that reciprocation by one or two chiefs was less than optimum because criticism of several officers was becoming too apparent. In the course of my shipboard "rounds," I asked a chief to come to my stateroom. I advised my shipmate to tell his peers that the level of cooperation between his mess and mine was not up to par and the chiefs might consider doing better. Word was passed quickly for a meeting of all chiefs. Within 20 minutes, another chief—who had been of principal concern to me—appeared at my door to report that the problem was solved and would not occur again. And it did not.
It is useful to remind chiefs that it goes with their turf to take a major role in the training of junior officers. You know a junior officer has reached a certain level of professional accomplishment when he and his chief finally have a professional disagreement on such matters as technical procedures or selection and distribution of equipment. As long as the deliberations do not become too loud (or profane), you can be sure that the chief has done his training well—and has to live with it.
Like Lewis Carroll's description of little girls—a simile no chief in the world would care for—the CPOs mess is either very, very good or very, very bad. Now what do you suppose the chiefs would have to say about working with the wardroom?
Captain Brown retired in 2000 and works as a transportation security consultant in Londonderry, New Hampshire.