Depart of Defense photo
2014 CPO selectees marching in Boston while spending a week training aboard USS Constitution.
MCPON Stevens CPO 365 Today
Mike Stevens relieved MCPON West on September 26, 2012 shortly after the 2nd year of CPO 365 began. In his first guidance he made a change that made the headlines. Stevens officially changed the name of the process from “Induction” to “CPO 365.” He stated that the term
“Induction is hereby officially and respectfully sundowned.” In the following days online bloggers and Navy news magazines, such as the Navy Times, ran sensational headlines stating the “MCPON orders end to chief Induction. 63” Many Sailors, including retired chief petty officers, interpreted the headlines to mean the MCPON had ended CPO Induction/Initiations. The Navy Times article did explain that the word “Induction” had simply been replaced by “CPO 365”. However, many people did not read beyond the headline. Over the next few months numerous online bloggers perpetuated the false claim that CPO Inductions were a thing of the past. Many lamented and complained that Navy chief petty officer traditions were being discarded by the MCPON’s guidance.
The changes made to CPO 365 in 2013 were actually minor and were a continuation of the evolution of CPO Initiations that had been ongoing since MCPON Black issued the first guidance in 1967. CPO 365 was reduced from three phases to two phases. Phase 1 would start the day after the CPO pinning ceremony in September and would conclude on the day the CPO selection board results were released. All FCPOs were required to participate in Phase 1 whether selection board eligible or not. Phase 2 would begin when Phase 1 ended and would conclude with the CPO pinning ceremony in September. All FCPOs would remain engaged during Phase 2, although there would be separate training and events for those FCPOs that were CPO selects. Events and training for CPO selects included the CPO Selectee Leadership Course and fundraising events. MCPON Stevens stated that the training that took place during Phase 1 would continue in Phase 2 and CPOs would “not abruptly start using a different tone or harsh style of training.”
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