• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

GTMO Welcomes New CMC

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100328-03
Release Date: 3/28/2010 3:21:00 PM

By Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW) Bill Mesta, Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Public Affairs

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (NNS) -- Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (NAVSTA GTMO) welcomed its new command master chief (CMC) March 26

Command Master Chief (SW/EXW/AW) J. D. McKinney III relieved Command Master Chief (SW/AW) Keith Carlson as the Naval Station's CMC.

A CMC is the most senior enlisted Sailor in a United States Navy command.

"The Command Master Chief is the eyes and ears for the CO (commanding officer) of what's going on in the enlisted community, as well as the morale and welfare of Sailors and their families and their quality of life issues." said McKinney.

McKinney has been in the Navy for 28 years. He is reporting to NAVSTA GTMO from Naval Station Ingleside, Texas where he served as the installation CMC for 4 years.

McKinney came into the Navy as a hull maintenance technician in 1982, and later converted to a damage controlman in 1987. He has served on USS Saratoga (CV 60), USS Independence (CV 62), USS Boone (FFG 28), Precommissioning Unit Gonzalez (DDG 66), and as a recruit division commander at Great Lakes Recruit Training Command. McKinney was also forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, and performed duties as a chemical defense instructor attached to Naval Construction Center Detachment, Fort McClellan.

McKinney became a CMC in 2000. His first tour as CMC was aboard USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79).

"We got to deploy her for the first time as part of the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) battle group as part of Iraqi Freedom," said McKinney. He also served as CMC aboard the USS Klakring (FFG 42) and Camp Lemonier in Djibouti, Africa.

"I feel that it is every service member's duty to come to work ready to serve their unit and their country," said McKinney. "When they are off duty, it is very important that they take care of themselves, take care of their family, take care of their personal lives so that they are able to come to work ready to serve their unit and their country."