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Hard work, determination and unwavering devotion to Sailors, Command Master Chief Samira McBride’s career is storied. Born in Cameroon, Africa and raised in Chad, McBride’s family immigrated to the United States in 1997 and started her senior year of high school that same year. In September 1999, she enlisted in the United States Navy.
McBride assumed all duties and responsibilities as the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman’s command master chief Feb. 17. Like the splatter of rain that eventually turns into a steady stream, McBride started her career off from the lowest of enlisted ranks, racking up recognition and honors which helped flood the doors wide open to the top of the enlisted ladder.
McBride’s initial tour of duty was on USS Fletcher (DD 292), in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where she served as Combat Information Center Track Supervisor and Harpoon Engagement Planner, she completed two Western Pacific deployments. In July 2003, McBride reported to the USS Gonzalez (DDG 66), in Norfolk, Virginia, where she served as Anti Submarine Tactical Air Controller and Arabic Linguist, she completed one deployment to the Medditerranean Sea and Persian Gulf. In July 2005, McBride she transferred to Assault Craft Unit Four (ACU-4), where she served as Operations Department Executive Assistant and French Linguist. During her time with Assault Craft Unit Four, she conducted intensive training for welldeck, Ramp Marshall and communications procedures aboard French Naval Vessel BPC TONNERE. In October 2008, McBride reported to the USS Lassen (DDG 82), in Yokosuka, Japan, where she served as the operations as the OI Division Leading Petty Officer. In 2009 she was selected as USS Lassen 2009 Senior Sailor of the Year.
In April 2010, McBride was selected as the winner of one of the most competitive and prestigious awards in the Navy. All of the commands across the entire Pacific Fleet, a huge portion of the Navy personnel, compete for this recognition. Amongst all First Class Petty Officers McBride was recognized as the Pacific Fleet Sailor of the Year. Alone, this is a tremendous achievement. However, this triumph also led to McBride being meritoriously promoted to chief petty officer, an extremely intricate and difficult achievement on its own.
McBride, now wearing the golden anchors of a chief petty officer, transferred to the USS Boxer (LHD 4), in San Diego, where she completed one Western Pacific deployment while serving as the OI Division leading chief petty officer.
In February 2013, McBride transferred to Recruit Training Command (RTC), in Great Lakes, Illinois, as a Recruit Division Commander. During her time at RTC, McBride spearheaded the training of numerous recruits, assisting in the development of the recruit’s naval knowledge, physical fitness and mental well-being.
McBride reported to the PCU Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), in Norfolk, Virginia, where she was selected to the Command Senior Chief Program and handpicked to serve as a United States Fleet Forced Command Fleet Chief Petty Officer Training Team Facilitator. In July 2018, reported back to the Gonzalez, where she once roamed the deck as a junior enlisted Sailor, she returned serving as the command master chief and was awarded with the Delbert Black Leadership Award in 2020. McBride exhibited what the award embodies; inspirational leadership, commitment to her Sailors, and operational excellence. She would go on to serve as the command master chief at Afloat Training Group, in Norfolk, Virginia, before her selection as Truman’s command master chief.
Depsite all the success in McBride’s career, she acknowledges her desire to improve as a leader. She recognizes that even though throughout her career she’s been at various command across the planet, the sheer amount of Sailors that one has to lead as command master chief of an aircraft carrier can be difficult.
“For the majority of my career, I’ve served on small ships. Transitioning to this bigger platform is one of the harder challenges I’ve faced so far,” said McBride. “I want to have as much engagement with Sailors as possible and being on an aircraft carrier with so many Sailors, that can be difficult. I don’t want to use that as an excuse, my goal is still to have positive interactions with all Sailors.”
McBride believes integrating and maintaining a positive and cohesive work environment leads to mission.
“It’s difficult for myself, as an individual, to enforce a change that is implemented throughout the entire ship,” said McBride. “My goal is to ensure that the crew holds me and their leadership accountable in establishing a positive work environment, these Sailors need to know that myself and their leadership will provide them with the resources needed for their personal success to flourish.”
McBride identified how important it is for herself and Truman’s leaders to support Sailors. Through this support, she believes Team Truman can accomplish any mission.
“Our mission is our Sailors, and our Sailors are the ones who complete the mission,” said McBride. “You cannot separate the two; they go hand-in-hand. When our Sailors feel like they’re in an environment where their opinions are heard and their needs are met, they in turn will be able to carry out any mission put in their way.”
While McBride admits that she continues to hone her leadership skills daily, she highlights the significance of confidence in a leadership position.
“Being patient with myself, in terms of my leadership development is important,” said McBride. “I want to always be confident in my ability to lead, no matter what. I want to be patient with the Sailors around me, neither them or myself are perfect. They are not robots, and I want to treat them as the unique individual Sailors that they are.”
Truman is the flagship of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCGS) and is currently undergoing a planned incremental availability (PIA) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
For more news from Truman, visit www.navy.mil/local.cvn75/, www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, www.twitter.com/usnavy, www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn75/, www.facebook.com/cvn75, www.twitter.com/ussharrystruman, or http://instagram.com/uss_harrys.truman.
| Date Taken: | 03.07.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 12.31.2023 22:31 |
| Story ID: | 459484 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 153 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Mission Success, Through Sailor Wellness: Meet Truman’s New CMC, by PO2 Christopher Suarez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
