Naval leaders do not "earn" ranks or positions. They are entrusted with them by others who believed they could assume higher responsibility, and they should be humbled by the honor.
I find it troublesome that senior enlisted and officers often will congratulate each other upon selection to the next higher pay grade or selection for an important position with a hearty handshake and the words, “Congratulations! You earned it!” In our heartfelt words of encouragement and desire to provide positive feedback to the people we admire, both junior and senior, we might be sending the wrong message.
There are at least some leaders, at all levels enlisted and commissioned, who believe they “earned” their ranks or positions. That is not true. They were entrusted with them, and that is not the same thing. Furthermore, believing rank or position is an entitlement is the beginning of erosion of ethical grounding.
The problem is that we relate the hard work, late nights, leadership efforts, mentorship, and our professional and personal development to our success in the military, and we also tend to relate our ranks and positions to our success in the military. We merge the two to create one belief rather than two separate concepts.
I am not discounting all the work and effort senior enlisted and officers put in over the years. All the energy we have expended is what has allowed us to be successful. However, that still does not mean we earned it. We earned respect, and we earned the trust of people who believed we could move into that next position. But that only allowed us to be considered for higher responsibility. It did not directly result in a promotion.
The higher responsibility was never owed to us. It was not an entitlement delivered on a silver platter after we completed all the requirements. It is not as easy as hard work + effort + sacrifice = promotion.
The truth can be found reading between the lines of our frocking letters, our appointment letters, the Military Personnel manual, and the Chief Petty Officer’s Creed:
• From the Creed: “By experience, by performance, and by testing, you have been this day advanced to Chief Petty Officer.”
• From the frocking letter: “You are hereby authorized to assume the title and wear the uniform of . . .”
• From an appointment letter: “Your permanent appointment to _____ with the date of rank and effective date of _____ are hereby delivered.”
We were selected to bear the responsibility of our rank and position. Our hard work and development were recognized, and it resulted in those with the authority to burden us with higher rank, positional power, and influence bestowing it on us. We were given the honor.
All positions are attained based solely on someone else’s belief that the individual can fulfill the duties of that uniform and position. Leaders have been entrusted with the welfare of people, the military’s greatest asset. That should be humbling. It should make us pause and consider if we are worthy.
That’s not a bad thing. It can be a key for ethical grounding and doing right by our people. When we question ourselves, we can focus on our own improvement and grow to be the leaders we aspire to be for those who deserve the best. Our letters of promotion and the CPO Creed all extend congratulations, but they don’t follow that with “you earned it.” There is a reason for that omission.
Master Chief Hendricks has been a member of Auxiliary Division, a 3M coordinator, and has served on six submarines based out of Groton and Kings Bay, including two times as chief of the boat. He currently serves as a member of the Fleet Chief Petty Officer Training Team at U.S. Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, VA.