DAY WITH THE NAVY AND THE MARINES

Jason Stephenson, Senior Benefit Advocate
Tami Anderson, National Service Officer

On Monday, September 14th, area members of the Navy Reserves and Active Duty Marine Corps members visited the Spinal Cord Center here in Minneapolis and had lunch with members of the Minnesota Paralyzed Veterans of America and those eligible for membership to the organization who are veterans of the Navy and Marine Corps. The tour and luncheon is a day in which they celebrate Navy Heritage and Navy and Marine Corps Pride and most importantly, gave thanks to those that paved the way before them. 
 
It was all part of an intense 13 week process when a Navy First Class Petty Officer (E6) is selected to be advanced to a Chief Petty Officer (pay grade of E7) in the United States Navy regardless of whether they are in a reserve status or an active duty status. This year the process included Staff Sergeants in the United States Marine Corps selected to Gunnery Sergeant. The Minneapolis Reserve Center was one of only a few commands throughout the country that had Marines participate in this process. 

The visit on Monday the 14th starts off the final week process which began in July when individuals were notified they were selected. If an individual referred to as a “Selectee” makes it through the prior 12 weeks and the final week, they earn the pinning and title of Chief Petty Officer at the end of the week. It is a proud moment in ones career as only 4% of the Navy earns the rank of Chief Petty Officer. The Navy is the only branch of service that has a program as the Chief Petty Officer Induction program. Tami Anderson was selected and pinned in 2001 and retired in 2007. Jason Stephenson was selected and pinned in 2007. This process and the rank of having two PVA Service Officers go through the Chief Petty Officer induction process and work in the capacity of a Chief Petty Officer has lead to the success of the Minneapolis PVA Regional Office and the Minneapolis Spinal Cord Center. 

A group of 25 Chief Selectees were given a tour of the Minneapolis SCI Center; the group of 25 included Selectees from Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North and South Dakota. They were given a demonstration on how the Physical Therapy Pool works, Occupational and Physical Therapy Rehab equipment, tour and visits of inpatient rooms, a presentation by Recreation Therapy as well as a presentation and demonstration by Speech Pathology. We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to Beau Bedore, Bridget Moore, Rebecca LeClere, Cassandra Miller-Hardwick, John Christensen, and the O/T and P/T staff for taking the time to educate the Selectees of services provided at the Minneapolis SCI Center. 

The highlight of the day for everyone involved was the luncheon after the tour when the Selectees were introduced to Navy and Marine Corps veterans of PVA. I personally want to extend a thank you to those members from Minnesota that attended because it was YOUR day…..John Novicki, Russ Osborne, Tom Boetcher, Richard Docksteader, Scott Kneen, Charlie Wittwer, Todd Kemery, Robert Danzl, William (Bob) Werner, Earnest Zettergren, Pecha Lopes, and those members that were inpatients from Iowa. The above mentioned veterans were presented with an oral presentation of the history of their commands by the Selectees. The luncheon concluded with a resounding tribute to both the USMC and the Navy with the selectee’s singing the Marine Corps Hymn and Anchor’s Aweigh. Charlie Wittwer is quoted “I was very impressed with the fact the Navy sang all 3 versus of the Marine Corps Hymn”. 

It was a great experience for everyone involved and everyone that attended. We will be doing this again next year, if you are a Navy veteran or a Marine Corps veteran and did not attend this year’s event but would like to attend next year’s event, please contact Jason Stephenson at 612-629-7022. It will be held the third week of September 2010. 

I am proud to announce also that all of the Selectees involved in this process and that attended the tour/luncheon did make it through the final week’s requirements and are proudly called Navy Chief Petty Officers.