Feb. 10 marked the day the United States Navy East Coast received its first strike group command master chief (CMC).

The road to becoming the first East Coast strike group CMC was one that took more than 30 years of very dedicated service. Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 8 Command Master Chief Michael Bates was selected for the inaugural position shortly after an interview with Strike Group Commander Rear Adm. Gene Black.

"Admiral Black asked me if I would be interested in the position and I responded with an ecstatic 'Yes!'" said Bates. "Just from our conversation during my interview I could tell that he is someone I would love to work for. He really cares about the Navy and I know he will do everything within his power to keep this strike group moving in the right direction."

"Having a command master chief at Carrier Strike Group 8 will be a welcome addition to the command leadership, and will only compliment my senior enlisted advisor," said Black. "Together they will continue to hold our Sailors' best interests at heart and improve the strike group as a whole."

Bates said he is dedicated to not just improving the strike group as a whole, but each individual Sailor who makes up this powerful unit.

To do so, he said he will draw from the plethora of experiences gained during his long tenure in the Navy.

"I completed six deployments on aircraft carriers. I've been the engineering [leading chief petty officer] on an aircraft carrier, and I've been the acting CMC of an air wing, so I have a good idea of what needs to get done," said Bates. "I'm the type of person who wants to walk into your shop or space, sit down and strike up a conversation with you. I want to know where my Sailors are from and what they're doing. I want to find out who they are."

Bates noted that being underway for months at a time can cause certain, unfavorable situations to arise. Sailors are not strangers to being away from their families and missing important events while at sea. According to Bates, those attached to CSG 8 have a command master chief that has dealt with adversity and can relate to them.

"I've been in the Navy for more than 30 years," said Bates. "I was able to be home for most of my children's childhoods, but I've been out at sea for their teenage years. My wife Natalie essentially had to raise three teenagers on her own. That's an extremely hard thing to do; hard for her and hard for my kids. I'm so grateful for the constant support I receive from my family."

Great leaders lead by example and Bates has four main points he leads by, which he wants everyone to live by: fight, train, lead, care.

"We fight when we go to battle," said Bates. "We also have to fight to do the right thing. We need to do both to continue protecting this country. Training. Before we can fight, we need to train. We need to train and continue to improve ourselves so we're prepared for what comes our way. Lead. Leaders need to make sure they're actually leading. You need to lead by example if you actually expect people to follow you. A good leader does everything that's expected of them, while also making sure those around are on the correct path. Care. Always care. If I don't care about the people around them, how can I expect them to perform their jobs to their fullest capabilities? I want my Sailors to know that I truly care about each and every one of them."

Most of all, Command Master Chief Michael Bates said he hopes that with his help leading the charge, the future of the greatest naval force this world has ever seen will look as bright as ever before.

"I know when I eventually leave the Navy, the [current junior Sailors] will be my replacement," said Bates. "I want to be able to sleep comfortably knowing the legacy we left behind will make sure they're more than prepared for the job ahead of them, and I know those Sailors will pay it forward."

The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is currently underway conducting its Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), the final stage of pre-deployment workups.

For more news from USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), visit http://www.navy.mil/.