Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Rick West
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Michael Leavitt

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Rick West

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Rick West
Our Navy’s history and heritage is an important part of leadership development.  It helps us understand past successes and failures in implementing policy, waging campaigns and managing personnel.  It is honestly vital for every generation of Navy leaders.

Our history, heritage and traditions are a key component in mentoring Sailors, enlisted and officers, junior and senior alike.  For junior Sailors, knowledge of naval traditions and heritage is important in explaining and reinforcing the reasons behind many rituals that we simply accept as everyday occurrences.  It is also a primary means of developing a sense of service pride and self-worth. 

For senior Sailors, knowledge of naval history and heritage is vital for developing policy, strategy, and tactics based on what worked and what didn’t from our past.  The way wars have been fought over the last hundred years is cyclic.  Large blue water battle fleets engaging other fleets at sea during the 20th century have evolved to new tactics and strategies.  However, certain capabilities, such as riverine warfare have reemerged after being dormant for thirty years.  Understanding how we fought in the past is important for our continued success in the future. 

The Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) is the primary resource within the Department of the Navy for promoting naval history and heritage in order to educate our Sailors. [http://www.history.navy.mil]

NHHC uses on-line resources and social media to provide historical information that ranges from articles, historical photographs, Block 39 historical vignettes and videos.  NHHC oversees 13 museums [http://www.history.navy.mil/museums] that are operated by the Navy and each museum promotes history and heritage events. 

One of the ways that I promote our Navy history and heritage is by posting a historical photo of the day on my Facebook page. [http://www.facebook.com/MCPON?ref=pb]   I’ve turned it into a trivia question by asking visitors questions about the photo.  My Facebook fans love it and they get upset if the answer or a new photograph isn’t posted on time.  I also post the Block 39 historical vignettes to my Facebook page and send it out to our senior enlisted leaders of every command.  I’ve had great responses to both the historical photo of the day and the Block 39.  Our Sailors, family members, and Navy civilians enjoy seeing photos from our past and learning something new from our history, and our veterans like the opportunity to reminisce about their Navy careers.     

The Navy’s reading list can be found at www.navyreading.navy.mil and it includes historical titles.  These and other e-books and references can be found and downloaded from our Navy Knowledge Online web site at https://wwwa.nko.navy.mil

In additions to the reading list, there are various on-line articles, publications, and exhibits on the NHHC web site and each of the 13 museums have their own web site full of great information. 

Another interesting and unique source of naval history from the late 19th century and early 20th century can be found in reports made by the Secretary of the Navy and the Navy Surgeon General to the U.S. Congress.  Many of the reports contain congressional testimony by SECNAV and senior naval officers that provides interesting insight to the Navy.  These reports, many that are part of the congressional record, have been digitized and are available online.

Taking time to look back on our proud history and heritage is important because it shows us where our Navy came from and all of the great things that we have accomplished as a team, and provides perspective on where we are going.  I believe every Sailor should take the time to learn about our illustrious past and how it helps with our future. 

For example, our Navy has been at the forefront on changes in social issues and technology.  Social progression such as integration and diversity were being implemented in the Navy before they became the norm in the civilian world.  The history of the Navy as a military force in protecting our nation and supporting our allies is inspiring.  The technology developed by the Navy  in the late 19th century and early 20th century with regard to steel ship construction, electricity, weapons, wireless (radio), aviation, and propulsion systems are still being improved today.   Our Navy is leading the way on energy security, energy efficiency and environmental stewardship as a means to conserve natural resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lessen dependence on fossil fuels.

In terms of a specific period or event, I believe the Navy’s contributions during World War II are particularly profound.  We may never see battles at sea again like we did in the Pacific, with ships squaring off almost daily in epic confrontations and truly historic tactics being played out on the world stage.  The courage of those Sailors to fight and preserve ships under lethal attack epitomized our Navy core values and ethos.  The performance and fortitude of the Navy and Marine Corps team, not only in the Pacific but in the European theater as well, established us as the world’s premier maritime force and gave us some of our services’ most celebrated leaders … names we still revere today. 

It’s impossible to look at World War II and not come away with an appreciation for how that chapter fundamentally shaped the critical potent resource our Navy and Marine Corps partnership brings to the country’s current strategic priorities.  The agility and synergy of our relationship have only grown stronger in the years since, but those essential elements, so valuable in maintaining the watch today and tomorrow, were forged under fire in places like Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima.       
 
We talk a lot about preserving traditions and history and I think we do a pretty good job of it. Our Sailors realize that the men and women who have gone before us made the type of sacrifices that preserved our freedoms.  But they also know that the real stories of our Navy heroes can't be found in text books or through Wikipedia. The best stories, those that have the most impact, are told face-to-face, so I encourage our Sailors to seek out our veterans and spend time talking to them.  Thank them for their service and for laying the foundation that we build upon today.  Learning and understating our history, heritage and traditions will help lead us into a bright future.   

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Michael Leavitt

Learning about our heritage and tradition is very important. As history can attest, the United States Coast Guard has faced significant challenges in the past and we continue to face significant challenges today, particularly when it comes to performing 11 distinct and separate missions. For over 221 years the United States Coast Guard has always been ready and has answered the Nation's call. There are so many examples, but I will just name a few.  During a hurricane off the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Mr. Richard Etheridge and his crew at Pea Island Life Saving Station, rescued nine personnel from a ship that had broken up in the surf. Petty Officer Bernard Webber and his crew set out in a 36-foot wooden life boat, fighting seas over 60 feet, and rescued 33 personnel from the tanker Pendleton when it broke in half in a storm off Chatham Inlet, Massachusetts.  Signalman First Class Douglas Munro gave his life at the Battle of Guadalcanal when he placed his boat between 500 Marines and enemy gun fire.  The Coast Guard saved over 33,500 lives from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, provided humanitarian service after the earthquake in Haiti, and responded to the largest oil spill in U.S. history, Deep Water Horizon. So as you can see, Traditions and Heritage are key in shaping our culture and legacy, which is Semper Paratus, "Always Ready.”

An understanding of our history and heritage begins with Recruit Training. As our members advance, they continue to grow and learn, professionally and personally.  A good deal of our advancement questions are based on or related to our heritage, history and traditions. Junior Petty Officers study the Coast Guard's role in armed conflicts such as WWI, WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, etc. This creates a deep appreciation and understanding for our Coast Guard members who have served and those who are currently serving.  Additionally, our traditions are well documented and many are still used in our current day ceremonies. We study the leadership of those who have served in the past and try to learn from their experiences.

Both the Commandant and I have recommended reading lists that include historical titles. (See the links below.)  I just finished reading Lone Survivor and would definitely recommend it to anyone. This book defines the challenges that four Navy Seals endured while working in the Mountains in Afghanistan. Most can't even fathom the challenges these young men faced. This book clearly defines Culture and Heritage of the Navy Seals, which emphasized the importance of team work, survival, courage, honor, sacrifice, and so much more.  

MCPOCG Reading List may be found at: http://www.uscg.mil/mcpocg/Reading_List/#list

Commandants Reading List may be found at: http://www.uscg.mil/leadership/resources/readinglist.asp

There are so many great traditions and aspects of the Coast Guard's history that it is difficult for me to highlight just one as a favorite. However, I think that our Chiefs Call to Indoctrination (CCTI) is a piece of our history that is incredibly important. This Indoctrination process, allows the Chiefs Mess to teach our newly advanced Chief Petty Officers the importance of becoming a Chief. For example, seasoned Chiefs teach and define the vast duties and responsibilities of a Chief Petty Officer. In addition, they will teach the newly advanced Chiefs how to network with other Chiefs and the importance of working with Officers, up and down the chain of command. Also, it's important to note that a significant portion of this process focuses on history, heritage and the legacy of the Chief Petty Officer.