Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum recently enjoyed a day of extra help from the Lowcountry Chiefs' Mess of the Chief Petty Officer Association (United States Coast Guard). The helping hands included 10 Chief Petty Officer (CPO) selects, 10 junior officers who are working with them through the indoctrination process, and a few seasoned CPOs. Their volunteer service is part of the two-months-long road to becoming a full CPO called the Chief’s Call to Indoctrination, or CCTI.
During the two months of the CCTI, CPO-selects are asked to volunteer throughout the area and complete various “challenges” assigned by their superiors along the way. All of these challenges come on top of their regular work load with the hope of teaching them another valuable skill to have as a CPO. Throughout this process, the “overload” of work helps them learn how to better delegate their work when they have multiple responsibilities at the same time.
Charles “Trey” Kinnear is one of the current CPO-selects. He explained that over the years, the indoctrination process has become more about developing professionalism. “Chiefs pull everyone together and create continuity between the enlisted and commissioned officers,” said Kinnear. That’s why they work with junior officers throughout the indoctrination process, to start learning how to work with each other.
They work together while they are volunteering too. On the day they were here, they helped with a variety of tasks including putting a shine back in bells dating from 1888 and 1943, cleaning off some historic aircraft, tightening screws on decking on the USS Yorktown elevators and the Vietnam Experience, and other tasks. Their help was greatly appreciated by the staff at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum.
The indoctrination process leads up to a Rites of Passage ceremony (which will be held on 12 May 2017) and then a final dinner the next night. Kinnear said the Lowcountry Chiefs' Mess of the CPOA hopes to make helping out at Patriots Point a regular event, perhaps quarterly. We certainly would welcome their help again any time!
For more photos of their day here, check out the gallery below:
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