Scuttlebutt

He was a fighter to the end. He struggled the best he could supported by his friends and dedicated followers. But finally even this noble hero could no longer carry on. Those who knew him mourn his passing. There will never be another like him. He was born in an era of sail and steam. A rapidly expanding and modernizing Navy proud of it’s noble heritage of securing the Nations independence and safeguarding it since. Defeating all enemies and prominent in restoring the republic after a bitter civil war. A new era was at hand which required a new leader on deck. And so the United States Navy Chief Petty Officer was born. Forged from the experience and grit of the veteran Petty Officers, the “Chief” was more than equal to the task. For the next hundred years, he was the epitome of Naval leadership. He was the mentor to countless generations of young men entering the Navy. They looked to him for the direction and guidance they needed. He never disappointed. Officers relied upon him with absolute confidence. Hence the well heard phrase, “Ask The Chief”. It would have been inconceivable to have predicted his demise. Long years of successive wars and conflicts only made him stronger. Then to everyone’s amazement, he met an enemy which he could not oppose. It was not immediately apparent but this foe had already begun to systematically and incrementally undermine and weaken him. By the time it was recognized, it was too late to reverse the corrosive effects of an insidious process. When it happened, it was anti-climactic. The essence of what he had been had long been eroded till he was but a pitiful remnant of his former self. What had once been a treasured and sacred element had been reduced to a sad event was struck down by the usurper who pretended to take his place. And so on 8 January 2013, the MCPON announced that ‘Induction’ was ‘Sundowned’. A euphemism for canceled. The era of the “Chief” was at an end.