So I’ve finally settled into the whole First Class thing. I’ve gotten over the weird feeling of being called IT1, and now I’m just trying to figure out what I’m supposed to be doing. If anything, I actually have less work to do. Since my division has a total of four Firsts now, I assumed there wasn’t much of a position for me, which isn’t so bad. Up until today I figured I was relegated to just filling miscellaneous holes in our never ending to-do lists. We had an impromptu Career Development Board (CDB) with our Chief today, where I was told I’m still in the position I was, except I’m not the one who should be doing the work. Instead, I should be the one delegating the tasks to my junior guys and ensuring they get whatever training and knowledge they need and that I could provide. The lazy side of me thinks it’s a pretty sweet deal, but the other side, the one that would spend days without sleep recovering from equipment casualties and kicking the asses of the gremlins that like to make our equipment go ape-shit, sort of feels lost. As our CMC said “Second classes get paid to fix shit, First classes get paid to lead. The time for you to become a master technician has come and passed.” I liked being a technician.
The policy on our ship is if you’re a First, then you’re inherently a member of the First Class Petty Officer’s Organization (not the association, as you can’t be made to pay dues). We’ve had a handful of meetings, and I’m still not sure what they do. I was told that our overall responsibility was to help the junior Sailors, but aside from a few of the Firsts taking their own initiative with their collateral duties, I don’t see how we help anyone yet. Granted I’m still new, but all I’ve seen so far is a lot of people who aren’t interested in actually participating in anything, and a lot of talk. On the same note, I can’t really fault any of my peers, because I don’t even know how to help the junior folks. I mean know I want to do something to help out, but I can’t even listen to seamen talk to one another without wondering if I sounded just as retarded when I first came in. At this point I know I’m not trying to make Chief or make anyone think I’m someone I’m not, so in the interim, I’m just trying to participate in everything I can in hopes that it’ll make some kind of difference somewhere.
Something I am having a little difficulty with is the whole “First Line Leader” stuff. After the new Firsts were frocked, we had a sit down with our CMC who went over the MCPON’s “Expectations of a First Class Petty Officer,” which talks about being deckplate leaders, visibly loyal to the command, and a munch of other mushy Go Navy! crap. We also went over the new Chief Petty Officer evaluation and talked how it should be used as guiding principles as we will one day, in theory, be Chiefs. It all sort of reminds me of the Bible. It sounds good on paper, and should I follow it to a tee, it can’t hurt anything…but I’m just too cynical to swallow any of it. Sometimes I wonder at what point in my Navy career I started sabotaging myself. I mean, when I came in I was ready to rock and roll and was proud of my accomplishments, but now it’s like I’m just trying to unplug myself from The Matrix or some shit. I know I advanced and whatnot, but it just sort of seems like I’ve been sitting stagnant for the past couple of years, not really giving a shit about, or doing, anything. I’m missing that spark, that inspiration that just makes someone decide they’re going to make something out of where they’re at; seizing the opportunities that they’ve created for themselves, intentionally or not. I’ve just sort of given up on the whole Navy thing for no apparent reason, and I sort of wish that would change.
Comments 11
Well your job now is to do a whole lot of nothing, whats so bad with that. Just remember its not your job to work anymore, your almost at that chief rank where you can sit in the chiefs mess and do nothing all day and wonder if your guys are doing all the work there supposed to or slacking of just like you are. I think its what you make out of it. Just remember you dont want to be a leader like all the chiefs you hated and instead be logical about it and make sense of your leadership. I think with that you will be able to do a better job instead of ending up like some of the chiefs who when you ask yourself what they do, your answer is “I’m not really sure but i see him walk around the ship all the time saying, something along the lines of fixing your uniform/haircut/shave, or that other kind of chief who walks around during cleaning stations to make sure people are cleaning rather than helping out the cleaning process, or better yet when they should be cleaning there own berthing. But its all what you make of it. You have already made it to that stage where you can make rank and sit around and do nothing or change the entire perspective of it and have you junior guys love you cause you can get them out of work earlier because you push them to do there work without being a dick. Its all up to you.
Posted 11 Jun 2008 at 2:40 pm ¶You can’t be serious. I don’t know what rate you are but when my husband was a First Class those were the most stressful and demanding years of his career.
Congrats on your accomplishment Jim.
Posted 11 Jun 2008 at 5:16 pm ¶Congratz Jimbo…Just play the game and you’ll be fine. (I just hope you’re good at playing games…ha ha)
Posted 11 Jun 2008 at 7:37 pm ¶Hey Jim, I’m happy for you man and I just want to tell you this…
Posted 11 Jun 2008 at 9:06 pm ¶The first classes at my command (shore duty) are terrible! They all sit around and talk a good game and then when it comes time for somebody to take action, nothing happens. Just keep your guys happy and then they’ll make you happy.
Well Jim , I was where you are now. Being a First Class is what you make out of it. You are the first line of leadership and at first it can be very intimidating. I made First and did two tours as a Big Deck LPO. I have to say I ended up loving it. I took care of my guys and they took care of me. I ran my Chief out of his job and kept him fat and happy in the mess. I was fortunate our First Class mess was extremely powerful onboard. We ran every program onboard and kept the Khakis out of all our endeavors. Don’t sell your position short and don’t give up your authority as a First. Remember E-6 is the most competetive paygrade in the Navy. For the first time in your career the “Promotable” block becomes a reality.
Posted 13 Jun 2008 at 12:00 am ¶Jim, I know you will do the right thing. Correct you are now a First Class Petty Officer, but all this instant leadership, repsonsibilty won’t be thrust upon you overnight. As time goes by you will gradually receive all these things and before you know it you will have all sorts of people, equipment and collateral duties etc. you are ultimately responsible for. Do remember this, take care of your Sailors and they will take care of you… guarantee it!
Posted 14 Jun 2008 at 2:16 am ¶Jim,
First of all, congrats on making first class. Now you’re playing in the big leagues. You may not have seen it yet, but it’s a pretty dog-eat-dog atmosphere in the E6 realm. Just make sure that you’re the one that steps above the eval cycle pettiness and helps out your fellow first classes. I remember that Chief Woods who was at the time FC1 Woods watching my back and kicking my ass all the time. That stuff gets noticed in the long run for making Chief obviously as he made it. Just remember that as an E5 some of the stuff you were graded on was your own performance. Not anymore. Nothing is about you… it’s all about the people you’re charged to lead. If they succeed, you succeed, because in the long run they will take care of you if you’re the guy they can come to with any problem, professional or personal. That means recognize them publicly for their successes and privately kick them in the ass if they’re headed in the wrong direction. I hear alot of talk about the chief’s not doing anything. Well if that’s the case, then the First Class Petty Officer is doing his job. If you have a chief that’s micromanaging everything, then you’re NOT doing your job as a leader. The only thing you should need your chief for is the rare occasion you can’t settle inter-divisional disputes at the First Class level, or you need a signature. They do alot behind the scenes to cover your ass, so don’t sell them short quite yet. Keep your chief out of a job, and you’ll be in the mess before you know it. At least that was the wisdom I’ve both seen and Master Chiefs Steadly and Hargraves instilled in me. I’ve been just fine because of that. Again Jim, congratulations and I know you’ll be the kind of leader I’d expect you to be.
Keep in touch,
Posted 16 Jun 2008 at 7:29 pm ¶ET1 Jason Dollison
Your CMC is wrong. Chief Petty Officers are suppose to be the technical experts of the Navy. That is why the old saying is “Ask the Chief.” As an IT1 you should still be learning to become a master technician. One of the problems with today’s Navy is that Chiefs do not know their rate. I spent 30 years on active duty and retired as a Master Chief and I never stopped being a technician. Yes, Chiefs have to be leaders and managers, but they have a responsibility to be the SME of their division.
Posted 22 Jun 2008 at 9:35 pm ¶Hello, There
I would just like to add a few words of inlightment. You mentiond you are an IT1 if, I am correct my guess would be that, that is or stands for Computer Tech. Meaning that the discription of your jobs is computer networking adminstration? isn’t that first class petty officer? making You some sort of part in the lead of helping to fixs computers when they break down>? There are many others just like You in your position, IT1 but the role of pettey officer takes on other leads besides Computer Networking correct?
It’s only Your 1st few weeks, and I don’t know.. how long ago you posted your thoughts. But; I think you feel or would like to do more than what you are doing now. I mean your right. “Who would want to be someone and do nothing?” It is a little dissapointed when you got such a “Big” name and behind it what are you really doing?
Thing is your not going to do everything right away all at once, your not going to learn everything all at once, thing’s take time, enjoy the little bit of nothing that you don’t have to do, before you get all the big stuff and have to do everything….
See; I met someone a very long time ago, and some how we formed a wonderful connection unlike no other, His name was Abel Gonzales IT1 Computer Networking Admin. now hes in Jax Fl. and hes IT1 sw/aw because hes on ship now. at least thats that name they changed when he got there. I suppose hes still doing the computer networking stuff??
He told me a while back that i was the sunshine in his life, that i inspire him and make him want to do better for himself.
and it didn’t register in my mind at the time but it does now. That this person, this able gonzales was a person who saw what others didn’t see in me because i saw everything no one else saw in him. FAITH AND LOYALTY WITH GOOD COMMUNICATION.
funny thing is i only met him once, and we just build everything up by commuications. and let; met tell you he was a good communicator talks just like the rest of us but when it comes to emails and had written letters, his grammer was top notch using all of the periods, exclmations marks, commans etc. you name it. i never had someone who would want to share their thoghths and things that that are doing in such wonderful letters….
in the end of our 4 year letters i’ve decided to stop talking to him cold turkey making up some stupid excues saying
thanks for being someone to talk to from time to time, i guess thats all we wanted to do was just talk , well take care and have a nice life.
and never spoke to him agian. it’s been 7 months. Why am i telling you this?
because this person is a real speical person in my life and always will be i was affriad of my feelings and shine myself away…. Now im in california and he is in fla. and i feel as though he has left me but really i’m the one who left. i think of him all the time everyday, and i know i could email him, or write to him but how can i bring myself to do that when i did something so childish?
so take it from me.
Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 12:36 pm ¶IT1, First of all, great post on the GW. Second, Retired MCPO is 100% spot on with the expectations of CPO’s and PO1’s. As an EMO, I expect my LCPO to be the technical expert. He is not sitting in the CPO mess. My ET1’s are expected to be the Leading Technicians, training and mentoring the junior technicians.
Posted 26 Aug 2008 at 5:32 pm ¶Well IT1 I think we know what was expected from chiefs is just that was, You being the first class should be above the first line leader and should be saught out for trouble shooting only. We are taught now a days first line leaders are the lowly E-5’s floor supervisors and WCS. Isn’t it true that every paygrade picked up you seem to be a paygrade behind. Every chief I have known has not been the SME most have to search for answers and really will depend on you for the answer. I am only an E-5 but you know that I have never asked my chief for anything unless it was critical that it got done. They are the ones that can get extensions and have the connections with the higher ups to help you out. No offense to chiefs but I would’nt want to work next to them while performing physical work. Now first classes make the most sense just keep your people happy and try to help them with any problems and you will always be reguarded as the coolest LPO reguardless. The people will be more worried about letting you down then letting down anyone else.
Posted 04 Sep 2008 at 2:59 pm ¶Post a Comment
Feel free to use formatting, such as <strong></strong> for bold text and <blockquote></blockquote> for quoting text.