The instruction was interpreted by many chief petty officers as an end to CPO initiations since many of the initiation activities conflicted with the instruction. MCPON Black addressed the concern over SECNAVINST 5060 by stating:
NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND PHOTOGRAPH
Master Chief Gunner’s Mate Delbert D. Black served as the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) from 1967-1971
MCPON Black - Lays Down the Law In January 1967, the office of the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of Naval Personnel was established. Master Chief Gunner’s Mate Delbert D. Black was appointed to the position. In March 1967, the position was renamed Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON). On June 17, 1967, SECNAVINST 5060.20 was released which set Navy policy for ceremonies which included CPO initiations. The instruction stated:
“Policy. It shall be the policy within the Department of the Navy that ceremonies, initiations and similar activities be conducted with dignity, with due regard for hazards to participants and with appropriate consideration of the honor and pride associated with wearing the uniform.” “Action. CDRs, COs…shall ensure that all ceremonies and initiations conducted under their cognizance are properly supervised, not hazardous to personnel, and are carried out in such a manner as will reflect credit upon the naval service.”
“We had a large number of telephone calls and letters last summer asking for guidance on CPO initiations. These were the result of a policy directive on the subject of initiations and ceremonies (SECNAVINST. 5060-20). The instruction seemed clear to me; it said in effect that CPO initiations and ceremonies associated with special events such as crossing the equator are permissible as long as they are not hazardous or detrimental, and do not involve unbecoming conduct. A lot of chiefs got the idea that this meant the traditional, highly informal CPO initiation should be discontinued and replaced with a strictly formal ceremony. Not so. There is no objection to CPO initiations conducted in a humorous vein, but at the same time, they should not be hazardous. Proper supervision and planning can insure that the honor and pride that go with making chief are not overshadowed by fun and games. We should not force the initiates to eat or drink against their wishes, nor should we do anything that could lead to bodily injury. By tradition, fledgling chiefs are not in a particularly dignified category during their initiation. However, those conducting the ceremony should insure an appropriate atmosphere of dignity to avoid any humiliation to the initiate. In addition, the initiation should end with a formal ceremony during which the new chief is reminded of his responsibilities and is officially welcomed into the CPO category. 29” CPO initiations continued. However, many provisions of SECNAVINST 5060 were generally ignored. Alcohol abuse, the consumption of food concoctions, unsafe events and the humiliation of CPO selectees remained the norm.
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