Five Sailors assigned to submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) donned combination covers for the first time during a chief petty officer pinning ceremony Sept. 16.

Sailors from various commands on Guam received their gold fouled anchors in the Naval Base Guam Theater following the six-week CPO 365 Phase II program.

"This is the greatest day of my life," said newly-appointed Chief Legalman Demetric Hart, assigned to Emory S. Land. "It all starts from the very beginning. Even though we don't realize it, from the second you come into the Navy you're preparing yourself for this. Even things you did at the E-5 level are looked at when you're up for chief."

Emory S. Land Command Master Chief William Greene oversaw much of the training the Navy's newest chiefs went through and their maturation into deckplate leaders.

"I'm proud of them," said Greene. "They've grown and learned how to trust each other. This is not an individual thing; it's about learning how to trust the mess. They've done a great job and have proven that they're ready."

After the ceremony, newly-appointed Chief Electronics Technician Alexander Head, assigned to USS Emory S. Land, recalled his nine-year journey to becoming a chief petty officer and said he feels quality leadership and family are what kept him on the path to his anchors.

"When you first join you've got those senior leaders who you look up to," said Head. "From when you're E-1 through E-6, they're always giving you advice and empowering you to be more and achieve more. Taking that advice and showing initiative is all you have to do to get here. All the help and support from your family and your mentors is what gets you to this point."

Emory S. Land is one of two forward-deployed expeditionary submarine tenders homeported in Guam, conducting maintenance on submarines and surface ships in the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operations.

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