NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain — A dozen sailors from Rota will be promoted to chief petty officer during a ceremony Wednesday, a week after the Navy postponed the event to investigate allegations of misconduct.
The chief-selects had hoped to pin on their anchors during a formal ceremony on Sept. 15, but Navy officials delayed it so they could look into charges of “inappropriate actions” during the initiation process.
Although the investigation into the Sept. 9 incident is complete, results were not released in time for Stars and Stripes’ deadline Tuesday. The Navy has not gone into detail as to what happened during a skit being performed at the base’s Chief’s Mess because commanders were looking into the matter.
This month, hundreds of chiefs were promoted throughout the Navy during ceremonies across the globe. Chief petty officers are considered the “backbone of the Navy” and are counted on to lead enlisted sailors.
The traditional initiation, what the Navy calls the “transition process,” aims to educate petty officers on their new role, build camaraderie and foster the importance of teamwork.
The pinning in Rota is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the base theater.
