[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 30 (Wednesday, March 18, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S2233]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 MASTER CHIEF ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN (SURFACE WARFARE QUALIFIED) JOHN 
             HAGAN, MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER OF THE NAVY

 Mr. KEMPTHORNE. Mr. President, on March 27, 1998, Master Chief 
John Hagan passes on the duties of Master Chief Petty Officer of the 
Navy after more than five years in this prestigious position. When 
Master Chief Hagan steps aside and hands responsibilities to Master 
Chief James L. Herdt, he ends the longest tenure of any Senior Enlisted 
Advisor to serve our great Navy.
  Through his tenure in office, Master Chief Hagan has traveled the 
globe listening to and answering the needs of Sailors. His extensive 
travels have included stops on every continent--from the northern 
reaches of Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, to the ice capped 
McMurdo Station, Antarctica. He has shared Christmas day with Sailors 
deployed onboard ships in the Arabian Gulf and July 4th visiting 
Sailors at Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy. In every way, on every 
day, he has dedicated his life to serving Sailors, not only during his 
service as Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, but throughout more 
than 32 years of service since his initial enlistment in Asheville, 
North Carolina.
  Master Chief Hagan worked very hard to gain the support of Congress 
on a variety of issues on behalf of Sailors. Every Sailor serving today 
and every Sailor who serves in the future owes a debt of gratitude for 
the service of John Hagan. Master Chief Hagan garnered support for 
volunteer education issues making it possible for those serving at sea 
to complete college courses. His work ensured Sailors housing 
allowances better meets their actual needs to ensure safe, affordable 
housing. Master Chief Hagan worked closely with Congress to facilitate 
the revitalization of family housing and bachelor quarters throughout 
the Navy, and his work facilitated a greater understanding in Congress 
of the full spectrum of issues unique to Sailors.
  Master Chief Hagan participated in virtually every decision impacting 
the lives of enlisted Sailors over the last five and one-half years. He 
helped strengthen the core of Navy's Recruit Training at Naval Training 
Center Great Lakes, participated in the establishment of leadership 
training through the Navy's Leadership Continuum, building the quality 
of the Navy's Senior Enlisted Academy, improving the Navy Physical 
Fitness program, increasing the number of females serving onboard 
surface warships and so many more.
  Master Chief Hagan faced many challenges head on during his tenure. 
Not the least of which were concerns over the Navy's traditional Chief 
Petty Officer Initiation. Master Chief Hagan met this challenge head on 
by guiding this event away from any reasonable criticism into a season 
of events the Navy can point to with great pride. Today, CPO Initiation 
Season begins the day the list of those selected for promotion is 
announced and ends eight weeks later with the formal advancement 
ceremony. This season includes a series of team building exercises, 
social events, physical fitness training and efforts to link with Naval 
heritage. Master Chief Hagan will long be remembered within the Navy 
for producing the Naval Heritage/Core Values Reading Guide. This part 
of CPO Initiation Season requires the Navy's newly selected Chief Petty 
Officers to read a book of non-fiction, Naval heritage to facilitate a 
discussion of the Navy's Core Values of Honor, Courage and Commitment. 
This encourages Sailors to link with their heritage and better 
understand the qualities required of Sailors.
  Master Chief Hagan stepped forward in May 1996 to speak on behalf of 
all Sailors at the Memorial Service for Admiral Mike Boorda, Chief of 
Naval Operations. Hagan said of Admiral Boorda, ``He was the leader we 
longed for and looked to; he came from among us and rose so high, 
always remembering the lonely, insecure, frightened recruit, which all 
of us are in the beginning, before we discover that the Navy is a 
family.'' Those words were true of Mike Boorda and they are true of 
John Hagan.
  In March 1997 he spoke to the assembled brigade of midshipmen at the 
United States Naval Academy where he told the Navy's leaders of the 
next century ``The very honor of our Navy and our nation has been 
repeatedly upheld by Sailors throughout our history.'' Master Chief 
Hagan has not only upheld the very honor of our Navy and our nation, he 
has raised the stake to new heights.
  Today's Navy is the greatest Navy the world has ever known and this 
can be said in clear conscious because of the service of Master Chief 
John Hagan. 

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