Master chief petty officer

Master Chief Petty Officer, or (MCPO), or Master Chief, is a military rank, the equivalent of which is used by the service organizations of many civilizations. As a traditional naval grade, MCPO is the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in Starfleet, just above Senior Chief Petty Officer, and is a non-commissioned officer.

Advancement to Master Chief Petty Officer is similar to that of Chief Petty Officer and Senior Chief Petty Officer. It carries requirements of time in service, superior evaluation scores, specialty examinations, and peer review. A Senior Chief Petty Officer can advance only if a selection board of serving MCPOs approves, which is the same for Petty Officers, First Class advancing to the rank of Chief Petty Officer, and Chief Petty Officers advancing to Senior Chief Petty Officer.

Master Chief Petty Officers are generally considered to be technical experts in their fields. As such they are normally assigned to major fleet commands and fleet staffs. Many MCPOs choose to enter the Command Master Chief Petty Officer Program. If selected they receive additional leadership training and may be assigned to commands as the Command Master Chief (CMC). The Command Master Chief Petty Officer is the senior enlisted person at a command and as such works as a liaison between the Commanding Officer and the enlisted ranks within that command. In this capacity the CMC assists the Commanding Officer in issues of quality of life, discipline, training, and morale.

MCPO Ranks
List of Master Chief Petty Officers