Master chief petty officer

Good conduct
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Master Chief Petty Officer

Master Chief
Petty Officer
insignia

Master Chief
Petty Officer
Sleeve Insignia

Master Chief Petty Officer is the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank (E-9) in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, just above Senior Chief Petty Officer, and is a non-commissioned officer. They are referred to as Master Chief in most circumstances.

Advancement to Master Chief Petty Officer is similar to that of Chief Petty Officer and Senior Chief Petty Officer. It carries requirements of time in service, superior evaluation scores, specialty examinations, and peer review. A Senior Chief Petty Officer can only advance if a selection board of serving Master Chiefs approve, which is the same for First Class Petty Officers advancing to Chief Petty Officer, and Chief Petty Officers advancing to Senior Chief Petty Officer.

Like Petty Officers, every chief has both a rank and rating (job, similar to an Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) in other branches). A chief's full title is a combination of the two. Thus, a Master Chief Petty Officer, who has the rating of Fire Control Technician would properly be called a Master Chief Fire Control Technician.

Each rating has an official abbreviation, such as MM for Machinist's Mate, FT for Fire Control Technician, or STS for Sonar Technician Submarines. When combined with the petty officer level, this gives the short-hand for the chief's rank, such as FTCM for Master Chief Fire Control Technician. It is not uncommon practice to refer to the master chief by this short hand in all but the most formal correspondence (such as printing and inscription on awards). Mostly, though, they are simply called "Master Chief", regardless of rating.

The rate insignia for a master chief is a white eagle with spread wings above three chevrons. The chevrons are topped by a rocker that goes behind the eagle (or "crow", as it is commonly called). Two inverted silver stars (a reference to the stars used on the sleeves of line officers) are placed above the eagle. Between the rocker and the top chevron is the specialty mark of the enlisted rating the Master Chief is currently serving in. This is used on the Dress Blue uniform. On all other uniforms, the insignia used is the one that has become universally accepted as the symbol of the Chief Petty Officer. This is a fouled (entwined in the anchor chain) gold anchor superimposed with a silver "USN" in the Navy or a silver shield in the Coast Guard. Like the dress blue insignia, this is capped by two upside-down stars.

In the Navy, officers and chiefs are referred to as "khakis". This is a reference to the color of their most common uniforms, and is a direct contrast to those in paygrades E-6 and below (or "blueshirts"). In the Coast Guard, petty officers, chief petty officers, warrant officers, and commissioned officers all wear similar uniforms.

Command Master Chief Petty Officer

CMCPO stripes

Master Chief Petty Officers are generally considered to be the technical experts in their fields. As such they are normally assigned to major afloat commands such as aircraft carriers, cruiser destroyer groups, and fleet staffs. Many Master Chiefs choose to enter the Command Master Chief Petty Officer Program. If selected they receive additional leadership training and are assigned to commands as the Command Master Chief (CMC). The Command Master Chief is the senior enlisted person at a command and as such works as a liaison between the Commanding Officer and the enlisted ranks. In this capacity the CMC assists the commanding officer in issues of quality of life, discipline, training, and morale. On Submarines, the CMC is called the COB or the Chief of the Boat.

Fleet Master Chief Petty Officer

FLTMC and FORMC stripes

These are Master Chiefs that have vitually the same responsibility as Command Master Chiefs but Fleet Master Chief Petty Officers (FLTMC) are responsible for larger fleet commands i.e. U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Force Master Chief Petty Officer

These are Master Chiefs that have virtually the same responsibility as Command Master Chiefs but Force Master Chief Petty Officers (FORMC) are responsible for larger force commands i.e. Submarine Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet. Their rank is equivalent to the Fleet Master Chief Petty Officer and their insignia is also the same.

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy

MCPON stripes

There exists one post, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, (MCPON, pronounced "Mic-Pon") which is unique. The holder of this post is the most senior enlisted member in the U.S. Navy. The MCPON adds a third inverted star above the rating insignia described earlier, and all three stars are gold (silver on the gold fouled anchor collar device). Likewise, the rating specialty mark is replaced by an inverted gold star. On July 10, 2006, Joe R. Campa assumed the role of MCPON, replacing Terry D. Scott.

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard

MCPOCG stripes

The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard (MCPOCG) is the most senior enlisted member in the U.S. Coast Guard. The MCPOCG adds a third inverted star above the rating insignia described earlier, and all three stars are gold (silver on the gold foiled anchor pin). Likewise, the rating specialty mark is replaced by a gold shield. The current Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard is Charles (Skip) W. Bowen.

See also

• Petty Officer
• U.S. Navy enlisted rate insignia
• Comparative military ranks

Master Chief Petty Officer in popular culture

• In the Halo video game series, SPARTAN-117 (John), more commonly called the Master Chief, the protagonist of the series, holds the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer in the United Nations Space Command.
• In the 2000 film Men of Honor, the character Leslie William "Billy" Sunday (portrayed by Robert De Niro) is a Navy diver with the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer.
• In the 1997 action movie, G.I. Jane, the brutal Navy SEAL in charge of training the SEAL recruits is Command Master Chief John Urgayle played by Viggo Mortensen.

External links

• Official Site of the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
• Official Site of the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard