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    Charlotte Native Received Commission as U.S. Navy Limited Duty Officer

    Charlotte Native Receives Commission as a U.S. Navy Limited Duty Officer

    Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Nathaniel Yarber | 210830-N-JK038-649 SAN DIEGO (August 30, 2021) Gas Turbine Systems Technician...... read more read more

    NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO– Gas Turbine Systems Technician (Electrical) Chief Petty Officer Nicholas E. Sookbir, assigned to Commander, Mine Division Twelve (COMMINEDIV 12) commissioned as an officer through the Limited Duty Officer (LDO) program during a ceremony held at Naval Base San Diego, Aug. 30.
    Chief Sookbir is a graduate of David W. Butler High School, native of Trinidad and Tobago, and was raised in Charlotte, N.C. His past duty assignments include the Naval Ceremonial Guard; USS Simpson (FFG 56); USS Farragut (DDG 99); Commander, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One (COMLCSRON ONE); and Commander, Mine Division Twelve (COMMINEDIV 12).
    Chief Petty Officer Nicholas E. Sookbir has spent more than 11 years in the Navy as a Gas Turbine Systems Technician (Electrical) before he was selected for the LDO program. In the Navy, a mustang is an officer who has been promoted up from the ranks of enlisted personnel from an in-service procurement program.
    Capt. Spencer Austin, commodore of Mine Division Twelve, presided over the ceremony and shared his personal remarks.
    “Mustangs are technical experts in their respective field,” said Austin. “Chief Petty Officer Sookbir’s experience as an enlisted Sailor will provide invaluable contributions to his Sailors. He has been an essential leader as a Chief and I am confident that he will continue to mentor and guide his next division’s needs in order to complete the mission.”
    LDOs are technical managers who fill leadership and management positions that require technical background and skills not attainable through normal development within other officer designators. The term "mustang" is used in the complimentary sense as slang for an officer who was a prior enlisted Sailor.
    Chief Warrant Officer Robert Mann, the engineering department head at Mine Division Twelve and shared his experiences of working with Sookbir.
    “Chief Sookbir once told me, ‘If you want something done right, get an LDO to do it’, now Chief Sookbir you are a mustang, a new father, devoted husband, and you are embarking on your next journey as the main propulsion assistant aboard a Littoral Combat Ship. I value the leadership you have offered, your care for Sailors, and I know they picked the right person for the job.”
    The ceremony followed time-honored Navy traditions with the retiring of the Chief Petty Officer cover, pinning of officer rank and the Silver Dollar Salute.
    Sookbir addressed the audience while thanking the participants and his mentors.
    “The most valuable trait of a successful leader is your integrity,” said Sookbir, “Without it you have lost the trust of others. As I transition into the next step of my career I will always remember to keep my integrity above reproach and carry forward the great traditions I have learned as an enlisted Sailor”

    Littoral combat ships are fast, agile and networked surface combatants, designed to operate in near-shore environments, while capable of open-ocean tasking and winning against 21st century coastal threats such as submarines, mines and swarming small craft.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 08.30.2021
    Date Posted: 09.09.2021 14:46
    Story ID: 404188
    Location: SAN DIEGO, CA, US

    Web Views: 185
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN