In one of his last speeches before retirement, Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Adm. John C. Harvey Jr., addressed fiscal year 2013 chief petty officer (CPO) selectees from the Hampton Roads area at Norfolk Naval Station, Sept. 7.
CPO selectees from USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) attended the event.
“He’s a great speaker,” said Roosevelt Command Master Chief (SW/AW) Jack Callison . “He loves what chiefs do on the deckplate. The opportunity to let our selectees hear from a four star admiral is great.”
Mentored by his chief when he was an ensign, Harvey recognized the influence of CPOs.
“I remember my first chief, ” Harvey recalled. “He helped influence me more than anyone else I ever worked with.”
The event marks one of the important final steps in the induction of the CPO selectees.
“It’s exciting,” remarked Chief (select) Fire Controlman (SW/AW) David Blake of Roosevelt’s combat systems department. “This is the end of his career, and he chose to talk to us.”
Harvey said he changed his retirement date to cover the induction. Harvey will retire as one of the highest ranking officers in the Navy after 39 years of service.
“The Navy will never be any better than its chief mess,” Harvey acknowledged. “You’re part of management now. You own this Navy – You are the ones who are going to make this work.”
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, September 14, 2012; Image: US Navy