Ask the Chief: The Importance of the Chiefs Mess

YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JAPAN

04.01.2023

Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Charlotte Dudenhoeffer 

USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN 76)   

When there is a problem at work, people usually go to their boss or supervisor-- someone who knows the answer or can point them to where they can get the answer. Since April 1, 1893, Sailors have been asking the Chief.
Now, 130 years later, the Chiefs Mess birthday is celebrated every year to recognize chiefs as a liaison and resource between the enlisted and commissioned Sailors.
The Chiefs Mess is the term used for the network of chiefs within a command as well as the chiefs throughout the Navy. Often referred to as, “the Mess,” it allows chiefs to share knowledge and information with each other, develop as leaders and act as a resource to their Sailors.
“The Chiefs Mess is an almost unlimited bank of information and resources because what one person hasn’t done, someone else probably has,” said Command Master Chief Jeremy Douglas, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) command master chief. “It’s a group that you can go to and come out with the right answer based on instruction, based on experience.”
Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Jeremy White, the Weapons Quality Assurance Supervisor aboard Reagan is an example of the way chiefs are an accessible resource for all. After earning his new rank and being transferred to a new division, G-5, White was placed under the leadership of a relatively new officer, Lt. Michelle Tran, Weapons Quality Assurance Officer. Though outranked by Tran, White still became her mentor and could teach her from his own experiences.
“I’m teaching younger guys all the time,” said White. “So I just think I looked at [teaching her] more that way rather than looking at it like, ‘She’s an officer. She should already know that.’”
White said that having the ability to seek knowledge and share answers amongst teammates allows divisions to build trust in each other, run smoother and advance themselves overall as Sailors while staying focused on the mission.
“I would say in general, we are here to make sure that the warfighter, the Naval officers, the captain, the commanding officer, the commander, whoever it is, has what they need; all the tangible and intangible things that are needed to complete the mission,” said Douglas.
White has done his best to do just that for Tran. Supporting, teaching her the ins and outs and ensuring she is prepared for whatever may be thrown her way in the Navy, such as writing evaluations for her Sailors.
“[Tran] is very smart, very knowledgeable, very literal,” said White. But when it came to writing an effective evaluation, she needed mentorship from someone who had written countless evaluations before and knew what made an effective evaluation and what wouldn’t. “She was talking very literal and you have to speak Navy.”
White realized she just needed to be taught the “Navy way” to write evaluations, and he would need to be patient and ensure she learned the best practices for Navy eval writing.
“The chiefs have always been my biggest supporters, my subject matter experts, my disciplinarians, and my most trusted teammates,” said Tran.
Tran is able to learn from not just White, but all the chiefs and senior members in her division. She is able to learn what it means to be an officer in the Navy from them as well as all the qualities that will make her a better leader.
“Chief White has taught me to act in a way I would want to be led and to be a person people can trust to not only do the job, but also be a person worthy of other people’s trust,” said Tran.
Having experience helps White mentor junior Sailors and junior officers, but he still doesn’t have all the answers. While the Chiefs Mess is an important bridge between enlisted and commissioned Sailors, it is also somewhere chiefs can go when they have a question they may not have the answers to.
“That’s the whole reason for the Mess,” White explained. “I’ve gone down [to the Chiefs Mess] with a couple of questions, and they come up there and give me the answers and give me a couple of resources.”
White and Tran’s mentor-to-mentee relationship is one of many between chiefs and their Sailors. For 130 years, the Chiefs Mess has been a well of wisdom, shaping Sailors into the leaders of tomorrow and will continue to do so for years to come.

• Date Taken: 04.01.2023
• Date Posted: 03.31.2023 21:05
• Story ID: 441747
• Location: YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JP