It's not easy to get all chief petty officers (CPOs) and first class petty officers (FCPOs) aboard aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) together for CPO 365 Phase I, so to make it more manageable, a draft day and dodgeball tournament was held Jan. 24 onboard Naval Station Norfolk.

For the draft, names of CPOs and FCPOs were drawn and then assigned to eight ships named after historic U.S. Navy chiefs. The ship names were future guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert Black (DDG 119), Military Sealift Command dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7), USS John Finn (DDG 113), destroyer escort USS Hill (DE 141), frigate USS Truett (FF 1095), USS McFaul (DDG 74), USS Reeves (DE-156), and USS Tomich (DE 242).

"Each ship is assigned a command senior chief and a senior enlisted leader (SEL), along with other CPOs in key positions," said Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Venita Johnson, CPO 365 Phase 1 lead. "It is their responsibility to ensure the FCPOs on their ships are receiving the information. The teamwork training events organized by the Phase 1 committee are in place to test the validity of the ship training, ensuring our FCPOs are set up for success."

Once the ships were manned and ready, personnel put their game faces on for dodgeball. The basketball court was divided in half so four teams could play at a time. At the beginning of the dodgeball game, the balls were lined up on the central dividing line. When the game started, the players simultaneously rushed toward the center line and tried to grab one of the dodgeballs and throw or roll it backwards to their teammates.

The games were intense with a lot of camaraderie and team spirit, but ultimately, there could only be one winner -- USS McFaul.

"We were one of the smaller groups, but we came together as a team, played hard and won," said Personnel Specialist 1st Class Henry Johnson. "It just goes to show that teamwork makes the dream work."

Even though teams played for bragging rights, the goal of CPO 365 was to create a training plan geared more toward mentorship and camaraderie.

"I think having a CPO 365 Program that adds a competitive edge promotes teamwork between both the [Chiefs Mess] and FCPO mess," said GW Command Master Chief James Tocorzic. "CPO 365 builds on the mindset that we are stronger as a team than we ever will be individuals. You have to have confidence in those around you and be humble enough to ask for help when you need it. Our role as enlisted leaders is too much for one person to accomplish successfully by themselves, and you have to rely on your brothers and sisters in your mess if you're going to make your command and Sailors successful."

In a game of dodgeball it might not feel like the ideal learning environment, but for those in attendance it was the perfect forum for training.

"It was fun," said Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class Lakeisha Moye. "Events like this are a lot better than looking at a PowerPoint presentation. This brings us all together, so we get out of our comfort zones, network, and learn new leadership styles."

"It mixes this up and takes the monotony out of it," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) 1st Class Dave Hooker. "This is a great way to not only better ourselves, but our ship, too."

From dodgeball to community relations projects to physical training, Johnson said she hopes this team concept approach will help FCPOs as they improve upon their leadership style.

"I hope they truly get something out of the training, so they can immediately take this knowledge back to their divisions and make a positive impact for their Sailors," said Johnson. "I also hope within their peer group they are able to improve on networking and teamwork skills, but most of all just have fun!"

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