SMYRNA, Tenn. (NNS) — Ten Sailors from Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Nashville and Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Nashville officially joined the Navy's chief petty officer (CPO) ranks during a pinning ceremony at Navy Operational Support Center Nashville on Sept. 13.
The pinning ceremony marked the end of a six-week training period known as CPO 365 Phase II, which began when the CPO advancement results were released.
Phase II is designed to strengthen leadership skills and to provide a better understanding of what it means to be a Navy chief. Phase II also included training on the history and traditions of the Chief’s Mess, physical challenges, mentorship and many additional responsibilities.
Cmdr. Patrick Acker, commanding officer of NTAG Nashville, emphasized the newly pinned CPOs responsibilities.
“Chief petty officers provide leadership, not just within their direct chain of command, but for the entire unit,” Acker said. “You’re different now, you wear a different uniform. You’re held to a higher standard. By longstanding custom and tradition, you are now separate and distinct.”
Family members and friends pinned on two gold anchors to each newly appointed chief's uniform and the Sailors' sponsors placed a combination cover on their head.
Advancement to chief petty officer is a major accomplishment in a Sailor's career. It not only bestows upon them the pay grade of E-7, but also grants them responsibilities that are unique to a United States Navy chief.
NTAG Nashville is one of nine NTAGs nationwide. More than 100,000 square miles are assigned to NTAG Nashville including counties in Tennessee, Arkansas, northern Alabama, northern Georgia, northern Mississippi, southern Kentucky and Southwestern Virginia. The command consists of two Talent Acquisition Onboarding Centers (TAOC) Music City and Blues City, and 36 Navy Talent Acquisition Sites.
Navy Recruiting Command consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions, 17 Navy Recruiting Districts and nine Navy Talent Acquisition Groups that serve more than 1,330 recruiting stations across the world. Their combined goal is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.
For more news from Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, go to http://www.cnrc.navy.mil. Follow Navy Recruiting on Facebook (www.facebook.com/NavyRecruiting), Twitter (@USNRecruiter) and Instagram (@USNRecruiter).