Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Mike Stevens visited the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard to conduct a personnel inspection at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, July 29.

"Our ceremonial guard is a very special unit, and it has very special duties and responsibilities, as such, we hold them to the highest possible standards," said Stevens. "I feel it's appropriate to come over here at least once a year and conduct a complete personnel inspection because they represent our Navy as a whole."

Stevens said it is his honor to perform a uniform inspection on the Sailors of Ceremonial Guard because it is their job to represent the Navy.

"Being a member of the ceremonial guard is to be someone who represents the entirety of the United States Navy," Stevens said. "The ceremonies they conduct, from the arrival of distinguished guests, memorial ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery and the many events they participate throughout the year, are events in which they are able to represent the Navy. I couldn't be more proud of our young Sailors at the Ceremonial Guard."

Stevens said that any participants who passed the inspection without a single infraction would personally receive his MCPON coin and a letter of achievement.

"This inspection is a zero discrepancy inspection in which 25 members competed, and 15 received a coin and a letter of appreciation from the MCPON," Stevens said. "Going by the guard's inspection criteria, they all received outstanding, but only 15 of them received zero hits."

Some Sailors were anxious, yet confident about participating in the inspection.

"I was nervous, I'm not going to lie, I was shaky and hoping he wouldn't see me shake," said Airman Joshua Taione, a guardsman who passed the uniform inspection. "I wanted to look tough, but I mostly wanted to pass, and I passed with zero hits."

Stevens said that he expects Sailors in the fleet to conduct inspections that are just as thorough.

"The inspection was conducted in a manner that I would hope any personnel inspection would be conducted, very thorough with the same high expectations" he said. "I'm confident that our chief petty officers, first class petty officers and division officers are out doing similar inspections throughout the Navy on a regular basis. The tradition of upholding people to high standards in the Navy is alive and well."

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