USS Constitution

So I dropped Peter off at the airport yesterday morning for his trip to Boston.  He is going to the USS Constitution to spend the week on the boat.  It is the oldest warship afloat in the world and it’s beautiful.  It looks like a big sailboat and there are tours given daily throughout the year by active duty sailors. 

This week, Peter will join other Chief selects from across the country to learn to sail the ship.  They will sleep, eat and work out on the ship then sail it.  I haven’t talked to him yet but he was really excited before he left.  He actually expressed that he was excited and he felt that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and he wouldn’t miss it. 

He’s taken my camera and understands that I expect to see photos when he returns so as soon as I get my hands on them I’ll post them for all to see!

http://www.history.navy.mil/USSconstitution/index.html

Until then, here are a few I found online to give you an idea what it looks like

Krisann is heading out to her hula hooping class (every Tuesday for 6 weeks then we’ll ship her off to the circus) then we’re going to see Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears at Charleston’s Pourhouse tonight.  Should be a good time!

Chief

Found this today, it is part of the selection board results announcement:

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING PERSONNEL WHO HAVE
BEEN SELECTED FOR ADVANCEMENT TO CHIEF PETTY OFFICER
BY THE FY-11 ACTIVE-DUTY NAVY E7 SELECTION BOARD.  STRONG
COMPETITION BETWEEN QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS IS ONE OF THE STRENGTHS
OF OUR NAVY AND YOUR SELECTION SPEAKS HIGHLY OF YOUR ABILITIES.

For those wondering what the big deal is, here is a little description I found on wiki:

Chief Petty Officer is the seventh enlisted rank in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, just above Petty Officer First Class and below Senior Chief Petty Officer, and is a senior non-commissioned officer. The Grade of Chief Petty Officer was established on April 1, 1893 for the Navy.^[1] Congress first authorized the Coast Guard to use the promotion to Chief Petty Officer on 18 May 1920.^[2]

Unlike Petty Officer First Class and lower ranks, advancement to Chief Petty Officer not only carries requirements of time in service, superior evaluation scores, and specialty examinations, but also carries an added requirement of peer review. A Chief Petty Officer can only advance after review by a selection board of serving Senior and Master Chief Petty Officers, in effect “choosing their own” and conversely not choosing others.^[3]

Advancement into the Chief Petty Officer grades is the most significant promotion within the enlisted naval ranks. At the rank of Chief, the Sailor takes on more administrative duties. In the Navy, their uniform changes to reflect this change of duty, becoming identical to that of an officer’s uniform except with different insignia. Sailors in the three Chief Petty Officer ranks also have conspicuous privileges such as separate dining and living areas. Any naval vessel of sufficient size has a room or rooms that are off-limits to anyone not a Chief (including officers) except by specific invitation (if one is invited to eat in the Chief’s Mess, it is customary to eat everything on the plate no matter what condiments are added by members of the Chief’s Mess to enhance one’s dining experience). In Navy jargon, this room is called the Chief’s Mess, or tongue in cheek, the “goat locker.” In addition, a Chief Petty Officer, no matter how much he was on “first name” basis with other petty officers before promotion, is always addressed as “Chief” by subordinates and superiors.

This weekend Peter’s task was to participate in the car wash fundraiser and build a prototype box to store an important book, once the prototype is approved, his team will be building one for each of the 32 chief selectees.  He’s away this morning working on it, tonight he has night duty, then back to work this week.  He also has important physical fitness goals to meet so he leaves even earlier than usual to get on base and run a few miles or work out. 

He is so dedicated, he truly deserves this honor and even I feel the importance of this title and cannot wait until the official ceremony in mid-September.