Chief petty officers (CPOs) at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain celebrated their 126th birthday week with acts of service, fun and activities from Mar. 31 to Apr. 4.

The Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station (NCTS) Bahrain Chiefs’ Mess spearheaded the inaugural CPO birthday week in celebration with the support of the Southwest Asia CPO Mess.

“Although we are in a high tempo [Area of Operation] AOR, we can never be too busy to do what chiefs do best...train, mentor and inspire,” said NCTS Command Master Chief Cajan Nelms. “The week's events were not about the chiefs. It was about the Sailors of all paygrades, to include our officers, who are sometimes left out when we talk about training. It was about giving back, leading the charge to encompass the Sailor 360 concept and what chiefs do: lead, motivate, mentor and inspire. We want to leave a legacy that others want to be a part of!”

The CPOs celebrated the origin of their ranks by participating in events such as the CPO history run, “Goatlocker Challenge,” morning colors, cake cutting ceremonies and a golf tournament. “It is the duty of all chief petty officers to train and mentor those coming up behind them, to leave a legacy and to be the ones to uphold good order and discipline and be that technical expert on the deckplates,” said Nelms. “That doesn't mean we can't be empathetic, approachable or even fun. That’s what we tried to do this week; just have fun while building those relationships across all ranks, enforcing the Sailor 360 concept. The Goatlocker Challenge was a time to get your junior enlisted out there with your officers and chiefs and do some fun team building events. If we always preach about being a Navy family then you have to know your family and sometimes at work behind a desk that is hard to do. This week created opportunities to do that and for commands across the AOR to get out with their Sailors and just spend some time together to strengthen those relationships.”

Other deck plate leadership events included a barbecue with junior Sailors, serving Sailors at the base galley, and a speed mentoring session. Nelms discussed a few of the events saying, “During our speed mentoring sessions, Sailors of all paygrades selected over 15 different topics, from how to read their LES, to overcoming detractors and still be successful. The Sailors were able to speak freely with chief petty officers about their leadership lessons learned. Chiefs are the lynchpin to any command, and the Chiefs’ Messes out here in Bahrain are leading the way; we are the backbone of the Navy and have the experience and expertise both professionally and personally, and it is our job to imbue that in those coming up behind us.” At the end of the weeklong event, Commander Task Force 52 Command Master Chief Anthony Schmit discussed what the CPO birthday meant to him.

“It's an opportunity to show the unity of the Chiefs’ Mess and remind ourselves of the privilege it is to lead, mentor, train and guide Sailors in the U.S. Navy. The responsibility is tremendous and rewarding, and not everyone gets the opportunity. This doesn’t make us special in the sense that we should be celebrated and support the week's events because they are centered on service to our Sailors; not simply celebrating chiefs,” said Schmit.

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