Naval Station (NAVSTA) Norfolk hosted the thirteenth annual, Run with the Chiefs 5K, Aug. 25.

More than 3,000 chiefs, senior chiefs, master chiefs, chief petty officer (CPO) selectees and participants from throughout the region, ran in support of the 2017 CPO selectees, singing cadence to celebrate the selectees' pride and camaraderie.

Senior Chief Logistics Specialist Damien Burke, assigned to Naval Special Warfare Group (NSWG) 10, was among those leading the pack.

"When you come out to an event like this, you get to see all the selectees and genuine chiefs from all over the East Coast. It's great to do the fellowship with your brothers and sisters that you haven't seen."

Burke has been in the Navy for 20 years and has been present at every Run with the Chiefs 5K since his advancement to chief in 2013. Burke said he loves bringing selectees to the run to show them what it means to make chief.

"Everything has a reason, so even if you think you're getting beat down, it's all for a purpose. The way you're going to survive is to honestly have fun with it. You may not understand everything now, but it will come to you."

The event is part of CPO-365, year-round training that first class petty officers and chief petty officer selectees go through before being officially receiving anchors.

Chief Aviation Electronics Technician Roderick Whittaker, assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), said that camaraderie and fellowship with his brothers and sisters is what inspired him to come out to the run.

"Any opportunity I can go to that involves the Chiefs' Mess, I go to it," said Whittaker. It gets me inspired seeing these young guys go from Airman all the way to chief ... that's what keeps me going. I've been in 22 years now and I'm going to keep going until they tell me to."

The Norfolk base pinning ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 15.



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