Ten petty officers 1st class assigned to Information Warfare Training Command San Diego (IWTC SD) were pinned as chief petty officers during a ceremony held on November 19, 2021.

The rank of chief petty officer was established on April 1, 1893, and selection to this paygrade is a significant milestone in an enlisted Sailor’s career that carries an important legacy with it. As deck-plate leaders, chief petty officers take on leadership challenges, are technical subject matter experts, custodians of naval tradition and heritage, and mentor junior officers.

Prior to the ceremony, the selectees underwent a demanding six-week training period to transition them from petty officers 1st class to chief petty officer. During this time, senior enlisted leaders introduced the selectees to multiple challenges designed to strengthen their leadership skills, encourage teamwork, and solidify the Navy chief ethos.

Chief Information Systems Technician Danielle Frei, one of IWTC SD’s newest chief petty officers, who has served for 12 years, described her sentiment after achieving this career milestone.

“My analogy with CPO season is that it is like preparing for a large family gathering, such as Thanksgiving, where a lot of preparation, logistics, and stress occur to ensure a successful event,” said Frei. “However, once the event happens, all of the work to get to that point was well worth it. In comparison, CPO season really pushed all of the selectees through training, numerous challenges, and a rigorous capstone event. While stressful at certain times, finally being pinned a CPO was more than worth all of the effort required to make it to this day.”

This year’s chief petty officer initiation allowed for the command to get back to conducting its indoctrination process “in person,” allowing for more connectedness s amongst chief petty officers and selectees, internal and external to IWTC SD.

“This season was great to be able to get back and have the critical ‘in-person’ events which add so much to this important transformation process,” said Chief Intelligence Specialist Chris Vredeveld. “The ability to see and interact with all of the other CPO Mess’ through events like CPO Pride Day are critical to successfully welcoming and integrating the new CPOs each year.”

After being pinned with their gold fouled anchors and chief combination cover, the transition from petty officer 1st class to chief petty officer was completed, signifying the start of a new journey of increased leadership, responsibility, and accountability.

IWTCSD’s Command Senior Enlisted Leader, Master Chief Information Systems Technician Terrence Ingram, reflected on his 26 years of naval service and offered a perspective to future Chiefs.

“Getting pinned is an amazing accomplishment. It’s really hard to put into words what it feels like to have your name called,” said Ingram. “Going through the season has been a challenging, fun, and eye-opening experience. My advice to others striving to be a CPO is to never give up. Overcome every hurdle thrown your way, don’t take ‘no’ for an answer, and achieve your goals where others have said you could not.”

IWTC San Diego’s newest chief petty officers are:
Chief Information Systems Technician Danielle Frei
Chief Information Systems Technician Kiona Bell
Chief Information Systems Technician Samuel St. Clair
Chief Information Systems Technician Derrick Aquino
Chief Information Systems Technician Patrick Myles
Chief Information Systems Technician Rhyal Fredricks
Chief Cryptologic Technician Collection Luis TorresEllis
Chief Cryptologic Technician Technical Jonielle Sablan
Chief Cryptologic Technician Technical Chris Daugherty
Chief Electronics Technician Brett Nielsen

“The honor of being selected for CPO is not one to be taken lightly. Being a chief doesn’t mean you’re above others, it means you’re supportive of others,” said Senior Chief Intelligence Specialist Thomas Irwin. “Welcome to the mess and never forget what you have done to get here.”

IWTC San Diego, as part of the Center for Information Warfare Training, provides a continuum of training to Navy and joint service personnel that prepares them to conduct information warfare across the full spectrum of military operations.