Speaking at the retirement ceremony of the finest leader I ever met, my departmental master chief petty officer aboard USS Last Ship. Thirty years of service and the Navy’s senior enlisted air controller. We’re doing the service aboard the USS Midway museum, which should be great, so long as I don’t get any part of my dress whites that isn’t the soles of my shoes in contact with any part of the ship. Don’t care how “decommissioned” she is, she’s still an aircraft carrier and that means grease topside.

The Master Chief is the kind of leader that I wish I could have been, and I hope I’m up to it.

The uniform at least is all rigged up and ready to go:

Wish me well.