MCPON Inspires Atsugi Sailors, Talks Frankly about Future Force
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS090709-14
Release Date: 7/9/2009 4:44:00 PM
By Chief Mass Communication Specialist Allison Pittam
ATSUGI, Japan (NNS) -- The master chief petty officer of the Navy visited Naval Air Facility Atsugi July 7 where he spent the day touring the base and getting to know the Sailors stationed there.
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Rick D. West's visit was part of a 10-day tour of naval installations under the Commander, Naval Forces Japan area of responsibility.
During his visit, the MCPON met with Japanese Rear Adm. Kazuo Takahashi of Fleet Air Wing 4, held an all-hands call with Sailors at Cinema 77 base theater and joined all hands for lunch at the Far East Café.
The turnout for the all hands call, at Cinema 77, was standing-room-only as West walked to the stage to introduce himself to the crowd of NAF Atsugi Sailors. West took a few minutes to share his experiences throughout his 28-year Navy career saying that his first port call was in Yokosuka in 1982.
"I was stationed overseas and loved every minute of it, but my one regret is that I've never conducted a Forward Deployed Naval Forces tour, and I think it's important," said West. "This is a second-to-none experience over here, and this is what the mission is all about."
Covering a variety of topics including the new working uniform, writing evaluations, continuation boards and selected reenlistment bonuses. One reoccurring topic for West was effective communication.
"We are always looking for new ways to keep information moving to families, moms, dads and retired Navy. There's so much information out there we need to be able to push down to them."
West said he'd recently taken steps to open up new channels of communication, and he's now accessible on Facebook, a widely used social networking Web site.
"I joined Facebook about two weeks ago to communicate with Sailors both young and old. It is one more way we can get the word down to them and their families."
Even though the Sailors were in the theater for more than an hour, they seemed attentive and interested as West kept them laughing with his many anecdotes.
"He was really cool and down to earth. He seemed like a really nice guy," said AT2 (AW/SW) Choyau Troutman, of Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Detachment, Atsugi.
Giving the crowd an idea of the things to come, West also shared a few of his objectives for the future.
"Training will be a huge focus," he said. "We are shaping and molding a stimulated, trained force that is forward moving."
At the conclusion of his meet and greet with Sailors, West headed to the base enlisted galley's Far East Café for an all hands lunch.
Much like the base theater, the galley was filled to capacity as Sailors moved through the food line and then into the dining area.
Invited to be one of the two Sailors who sat next to West was PSSN Chaunda Lacy, who was recently named NAF Atsugi's Junior Sailor of the Quarter.
"I was asking him about the selection process for the MCPON, and he was really friendly and talkative," said Lacy. "It was an honor to sit next to one of the most powerful men in the Navy, and that's something I'll carry with me the rest of my career. He makes me really want to try hard to excel."
For more information on the MCPON's hot topics or to pose your own questions, visit his Facebook page at: www.facebook/MCPON.
For more news from Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan, visit www.navy.mil/local/nafatsugi/.
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