NAVCENT CMC Reflects On 30 Years Of Service

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Keith Simmons | During a retirement ceremony held aboard NSA Bahrain Jan. 26, Command Master Chief of...... read more read more

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Keith Simmons | During a retirement ceremony held aboard NSA Bahrain Jan. 26, Command Master Chief of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, Master Chief Scott Weaver (left), shakes hands with Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, commander, USNAVCENT. Weaver is retiring after 30 years of service in the Navy and will be relieved by Master Chief Marco Ramirez.  see less | View Image Page

01.26.2010

Courtesy Story

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet           

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By Petty Officer 2nd Class Aramis X. Ramirez

MANAMA, Bahrain - In 1979, the Pittsburgh Steelers were the reigning NFL Superbowl champions, the average price of gasoline was $0.89 per gallon, the former Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan, and a 24-year-old man from French Lick, Ind., enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a sonar technician (submarine).

Thirty years later, Command Master Chief, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, Scott Weaver sits in his office and reflects on three decades of service and the moment which began his journey towards his retirement ceremony Jan. 26.

"I'm ready," he said humbly, sitting back in his chair. "My wife and I have been planning for this for a long time and we always knew that when the time came for me to move on, it would be because I was ready."

He points to a photo hanging on the wall, one of the few that has not been packed away in the boxes scattered about the office, clearing the office in preparation for Command Master Chief Marco Ramirez. The photo is of Weaver, sitting alone atop a mound alongside Mount Rainier.

"I'm an avid hiker, it's in my blood," he explained. "It's the first thing I plan on doing once I get back home and get settled."

Weaver likened his career to hiking, from his first impressions of boot camp, to climbing the enlisted ranks through 15 different commands and serving more than 21 years at sea.

"I realized then, that if you keep your mouth shut, your eyes and ears open, everything went fine, and because I realized that from the start, my experience went a bit more smoothly. It was an easy climb to make chief," he said.

Weaver advanced to the rank of chief petty officer in eight years, noting that the most significant part of his career was acting as a mentor to junior Sailors as his own mentor was one of the reasons he continued on with his career.

"After 22 years, you go through a lot of [chief petty officer] transition seasons and some of those chiefs come back and say, 'Master Chief, I remember at my transition, induction or initiation you talked about this. This was the standard you told us to set,'" he said. "And they come back to
me eight, 10, 12 years later and remember me. When that happens, you know you've made an impact on someone's life. That's probably the biggest accomplishment I think that anybody can give another Sailor in the Navy."

In the spirit of mentorship, Weaver said the key to deciding to retire is being financially ready and those who wish to do the same should have a plan in place and stick to it.

"You don't have to serve 30 years to be ready," he explained. "But when the time comes for you to move on, ask yourself if you have the money. If not, don't leave and make a plan to leave, stick to it and save your money. It's challenging, but worth it."

One of the biggest advantages available to the Sailor today, Weaver explained, is the opportunity for further education. Having earned two associate's degrees through the Navy's Tuition Assistance program, Weaver said he plans on using the GI Bill benefits when he separates.

"Any Sailor who finishes even one enlistment, six years or so, that has not taken advantage of educational programs and has not gotten a good start on either an associate's degree or a big chunk of their bachelor's, I think they are throwing away a valuable benefit," he said.

Weaver smiles with the idea of completing a teaching degree, but bars himself from making any commitments.

"I don't want to pigeonhole myself because I love that everything will be wide open for me," he said. "It's been a long time since I've had this feeling, and there are so many things I can do, it's exciting. I look forward to the future and will always remember my rewarding time in the Navy."