ARLINGTON, Va. — Fleet Master Chief Rick D. West was chosen to become the next Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.

Currently at U.S. Fleet Forces Command, West will assume the duties of the Navy’s top enlisted sailor on Dec. 13.

In a Navy-wide message, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead called West "singularly qualified" for the job.

"Master Chief West has the experience, insight and confidence to continue to provide me that which I need to hear, not want to hear," Roughead said. "He will have that degree of access and trust. I look forward to working closely with him in all that is ahead."

Before coming to Fleet Forces Command, West served as fleet master chief for U.S. Pacific Fleet, according to the Navy Administrative Message, or NAVADMIN.

In other previous assignments, he served as force master chief, U.S. Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet; command master chief in the USS Preble, a destroyer based in San Diego; and chief of the boat in the USS Portsmouth, a now decommissioned Los Angeles-class submarine.

West was traveling Monday and not available for comment.

Roughead praised current Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Joe Campa, who took the job in July 2006.

"He authored the Chief Petty Officer’s mission, vision, guiding principles, revitalized the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy’s Leadership Mess, and empowered Fleet, Force, and Command Master Chiefs," Roughead said.

Campa recently told Stars and Stripes that his successor should remember that he is first and foremost a chief petty officer.

"You’re not above the chief’s mess; you’re not outside of the chief’s mess; you need to continue to work through the chief’s mess to get this job done," Campa said in an interview last month.

For more information, go to NAVADMIN 349/08 at: www.npc.navy.mil