Chief petty officers aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) joined thousands of Sailors around the world in celebrating the 123rd birthday of the rank of chief petty officer, April 1.

Mason's chiefs celebrated with a cake-cutting in the Chief's Mess, then went about honoring their predecessors by going silently onto the deck plates to prepare for more composite training unit exercise scenarios.

"Being a chief petty officer is more than a rank and title," said Chief Personnel Specialist Melissa Mclellan. "Being a Chief doesn't stop when one is out of uniform or even after they retire."

The rank of Navy chief petty officer was officially recognized on April 1, 1893, to differentiate senior enlisted leaders from other enlisted personnel. However, the term "chief" was used during the 1870s to refer to the petty officer who was the most experienced and senior member of a particular rating. Held in high regard throughout all the branches of the military, Navy chiefs bridge the gap between officer and enlisted ranks.

"There is no other branch in the military that makes a significant difference between the pay grades of E-6 to E-7," said Command Master Chief Ronn Shasky, Mason's command master chief. "Frankly, if you were to refer to one of my chiefs as an E-7, it would be considered an insult. Being a chief is more than a rank; it is a lifestyle."

Shasky explained that when a first class petty officer receives the initial results that they have been selected to be a chief, "they undergo six weeks of training aimed to teach them humility and perseverance."

"As a chief, you have Sailors' lives at stake, and it's heavy," said Chief Quartermaster Jenita White. "You influence their lives for good or bad. You're joyous when they succeed, and you feel burdensome when they are disappointed."

While the duties and responsibilities of a chief are always evolving and there is no clear-cut job description, the chief is the go-to source of information and guidance at any given time. When lacking a solution, the U.S. Navy turns to the age old adage, "Ask the chief."

"Chiefs are required not only to be subject matter experts in their jobs, but also in their influence of junior Sailors and junior officers," said Senior Chief Culinary Specialist Brian Pettee. "It gives me the opportunity to mentor and guide young Sailors the way my chiefs did for me."

The Navy's core values of honor, courage and commitment are exemplified not only as ideas, but as they are seen in action. When an example is needed, one does not have to look any further than in the Chief's Mess, affectionately called the "goat locker."

"We train and mentor, and then challenge our Sailors to eventually take our place," Mclellan said. "The Chief's Mess is the backbone of the Navy."

Shasky reminisced about the chiefs he's had in his life, to include Fleet Master Chief April D. Beldo and Command Master Chief Russell Smith of the U.S. Naval Academy, and explained that their words and their guidance still resonate and influence him today.

Mason currently hosts one master chief, two senior chiefs and 25 chiefs.

"At the core, we're the same as any other Chief's Mess, but Mason's mess is the closest I've seen to a family atmosphere," Shasky said. "They are probably the most humble group of leaders I have ever had the pleasure of working with. They absorb and take on the majority of the work for me. They recognize it is a team sport. They are willing to lend a hand to any one of their brothers and sisters in the mess and beyond. This combination sets them apart from any other mess in the Navy."

Commanded by Cmdr. Christopher J. Gilbertson, Mason is underway conducting COMPTUEX with the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group.

Ike CSG is comprised of the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10 staff, Destroyer Squadron 26 staff, the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), Carrier Air Wing 3, the guided-missile cruisers USS San Jacinto (CG 56) and USS Monterey (CG 61), and the ships assigned to DESRON 26: USS Stout (DDG 55), USS Roosevelt (DDG 80), USS Mason (DDG 87) and USS Nitze (DDG 94).

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For more news from USS Mason (DDG 87), visit http://www.navy.mil/.