The other day we talked about Master Chief of the Navy Steven Giordano as the subject of a Navy Inspector General’s investigation. Stars & Stripes reports that he decided to retire;
“I have informed the chief of naval operations [Adm. John Richardson] that I intend to step aside and submit my retirement request, in order to allow the CNO, our [enlisted leadership], and our sailors to continue to move forward with the initiatives we have begun,” Master Chief of the Navy Steven Giordano wrote Thursday afternoon in a message posted on the Navy’s Facebook page. “The success of our Navy is not about one person or one individual, but rather the collective fighting spirit that has defined us over the last 242 years. It has been an honor to have been part of that team.”
That’s not suspicious timing at all.
Well, Bye.
He left out the standard “spend more time with my family”.
Or mentioned that God told him it was time to move on.
Perhaps Mattis told him. Pretty much the same thing.
Now that’s funny!!!
Yuk Yuk Yuk
I was eating Cheetos the other night and pulled one out that looked like Jesus. I knew something was going to change.
I thought maybe I was going to get rich by selling it on eBay but that wasn’t it, so there’s something else.
You bastard! I just dribbled ice tea all down my shirt from choking/laughing.
Smoke, fire, shit like that.
Say what you want about possible butthurt snowflakes, not EVERYONE who had leveled allegations against him (and there were more than a few) were suffering from sandy vaginitis.
Plus, the Navy takes a rather dim view of potential fraud, waste, and abuse.
This the senior enlisted equivalent of “you can’t fire me, I QUIT!”
I’ll give him this, whatever the accusations, he’s leaving without wasting a bunch of people’s time and effort to defend his honor. This will be better for the service. Though I hope they look long and hard at the vetting process for the service’s SEA.
If you’re more concerned with the perks of the job; than you are representing the Enlisted Personnel of your Service Branch, you may be an asshole.
Coincidence? Happenstance? Meeeeehhh, possibly not.
Nah, no coincidence in timing at all. I’m sure he has plenty of other things to do, like pluck the wings off flies and kick stray dogs.
I hope he misses the Navy as much as the Navy will miss him.
A timelier retirement was not seen since MacArthur decided to leave.
Don’t let the door hit ya where the Good Lord split ya, E-9 Giordano.
Betcha he retires at E-9 and not the coveted E-10 … just sayin’.
Good riddens, he was a pu$$y …
Far be it for me to tread where the elephants dance.
That being said, glad my first impression of the soon to be former MCPON was correct.
I believe the term is “Martinet.”
Well, I tried to give him every benefit of doubt, but I was too generous. I guess he was a member of the my-shit-does-not-stink club after all. Otherwise, he would have fought the accusations tooth and nail. Flight is evidence of guilt, as they say.
Ditto
Army E9’s have a rep for yelling at troops for being on their grass. What do Navy E9’s do?
Yell at their swabbies for walking on their water?
I hope that it is denied, and he is forced to remain on duty until the investigation is complete.
Now that would be justice! Let him face those he screamed at in the presence of others, those he asked to do his personal chores, and let him explain it to the board.
The speed of this really strikes me as the Navy trying to sweep something under the rug.
How about special projects NCO at Diego Garcia while the IG investigation works its way out, then take whatever appropriate legal or administrative action as necessary?
Since the MG David Hale fiasco, DoD policy prohibits service members from retiring while under investigation. An awkward likelihood is MCPON Giordano will have to step down to command master chief or regular MCPO & be some admiral’s office bitch until the investigation concludes. CNO Richardson right about now is drawing up a shortlist of candidates to be the new MCPON.
I hope he never again is a CMC. Coffee bitch for the CPO Mess would suit me just fine. I genuinely hope he is forced to remain on AD. I would love to see this develop with the findings posted in the Navy Times.
Hell, HMC… he’d fuck that up and go full bore screaming skull the first time the Mess tore into his ass.
He could take over for Yef…
Heh, “office bitch”
I was thinking more along the lines of a job that involved a GP Medium Tent Center Pole and a five gallon can of diesel fuel./smile
That smells good!
I can imagine VCNO called him in and told him how it was going to go down…no way did MCPON offer this without pre-greased skids…reminds me of those WWII movies where some Gestapo agent pushes the Luger across the table to the offending party…
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (SG/IW) Steven Giordano resigned Thursday as the Navy’s 14th senior enlisted leader, leaving the top job vacant for the first time since it was created more than 50 years ago.
His resignation comes amid an ongoing investigation by the Navy’s inspector general into allegations he fostered a toxic work environment in his Navy office.
The complaint was filed by a member of his own staff, according to sailors familiar with the investigation.
Giordano’s announcement was posted on the Navy’s Facebook page, but gave no official date for the retirement.
Chief of Naval Operations John Richardson acknowledged Giordano’s resignation on his Facebook page.
“I have accepted Master Chief Giordano’s offer to step aside as the MCPON effective immediately. I appreciate his recognition that the situation had become untenable,” Richardson’s message said.
“Now we need to move forward — together — as a Navy striving with all our energy to become a more lethal fighting force…America expects no less.”
Giordano’s own message had a different tone.
‘Like working for a pop star or Hollywood diva’: Navy investigating MCPON amid reports of toxic workplace
‘Like working for a pop star or Hollywood diva’: Navy investigating MCPON amid reports of toxic workplace
Sailors who have worked with Giordano say that he has a ferocious temper, a bullying leadership style and can be verbally abusive.
By: Mark D. Faram
“My love for our Navy and our sailors is absolute,” Giordano wrote in the Facebook message.
“For that reason, I seek to avoid any distraction from the success of our sailors and our mission.
“I have informed the Chief of Naval Operations that I intend to step aside and submit my retirement request, in order to allow the CNO, our CPO Mess, and our sailors to continue to move forward with the initiatives we have begun.”
Giordano made no specific mention of the allegations against him in the message and it’s unclear what the status of the investigation is. Also unclear is whether Giordano could face any disciplinary measures from the Navy if the investigation finds any wrongdoing.
Navy officials have made no announcements about the investigation or the status of the MCPON’s office, which has not been empty, ever, since it was created in 1967.
The office of Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson did not immediately respond to questions from Navy Times about the status of the investigation or whether Richardson will appoint an interim MCPON while a successor is found.
Giordano’s retirement from office comes just one year, nine months and 19 days since he took over from MCPON (AW/NAC) Mike Stevens, making him the shortest serving MCPON in history, with a total of just 658 days in “the seat,” as MCPONs refer to the job.
Where’s MCPON? Senior enlisted ‘grow accustomed to not having’ their leader
Where’s MCPON? Senior enlisted ‘grow accustomed to not having’ their leader
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Steven Giordano has been absent on the many important issues facing the Navy during his time as the top enlisted leader.
By: Mark D. Faram
His total is 198 days fewer than MCPON (SW/FMF) Joe Campa, who served for just over two years and four months.
Campa also retired from office in 2008, stating he’d accomplished what he set out to do. Campa’s unexpected decision to retire caught many by surprise and it was later revealed he was also battling an undisclosed medical condition at the time.
Giordano’s term has been rocky, as the career cryptologist took office while surrounded by revelations of past fraternization and adultery while he was an E-6. But Giordano owned up to his misconduct and said he learned from it.
“I utilized this incident to shape who I became as a husband, father and sailor,” he told Navy Times in an email exchange shortly after taking office.
“At this point in my term as the 14th Master Chief Petty Officer of Navy, I have no agenda but to visit and listen to our sailors and their families stationed around the globe.”
And it was the fact he didn’t come into the job with any agenda that became a problem. Giordano set out on an aggressive travel schedule during his first months in office. He would later tell Navy Times that he was in a “listen and learn” mode and that those conversations would fuel the development of an agenda that would be released.
Misconduct nearly ended his career. How tough lessons shaped the new MCPON.
Misconduct nearly ended his career. How tough lessons shaped the new MCPON.
Steven Giordano was a superstar first class petty officer when a lapse in judgment nearly scuttled his military career.
By: Mark D. Faram
Such a comprehensive to-do list never materialized, though, resulting in constant urging from his staff that he needed to engage the enlisted force — particularly his nearly-30,000 strong Navy-wide chiefs mess on the issues of the day, which included a massive compromise of the E-9 selection board in April 2016, a rise in command master chief firings due to misconduct and the deadly ship collisions in 7th Fleet.
A year ago, in response to growing complaints from the fleet about MCPON’s silence on big Navy issues, Giordano granted Navy Times a rare interview in which he said that he was a different style of leader and tended to work behind the scenes, but had put together an agenda that would soon be revealed.
“People operate differently and use different mechanisms to communicate for different reasons — that’s the leaders we all grow into being,” Giordano told Navy times in a May 2017.
Navy’s top enlisted leader takes leave amid investigation
Navy’s top enlisted leader takes leave amid investigation
The Navy’s top enlisted leader is accused of fostering a hostile work environment.
By: Mark D. Faram
“If you know me at all, you know I’m the type of person that will not go into a position with any kind of intent, without knowing what’s going on out there in the environment that we operate in every day,” he said.
But as time went on, a clear agenda never emerged.
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He did send a message to all the Navy’s chiefs saying they were off track, though his message never stated any root causes, and his solution was that all Navy chiefs needed to read the CPO creed for a rudder correction.
Recent weeks brought forth the allegations that his office was a toxic work environment, resulting in a nearly 100 percent turnover in staff during his brief tenure as MCPON.
Multiple former staff members from his office spoke to Navy Times on condition of anonymity, numerous senior sailors painting nearly identical pictures of life in Giordano’s Pentagon office.
“This is a man defined by a passive-aggressive leadership style, laced with a horrific and unpredictable temper,” said one former staff member.
“Behind closed doors, MCPON Giordano takes on an alter ego that is condescending and defaming to the senior leaders and junior staff alike on a regular basis, totally contradicting his own publicly preached values and beliefs of being a ‘quietly humble leader,’” the former staff member said.
While researching that story, Navy Times learned that a current staff member had filed an inspector general complaint against Giordano, triggering the current investigation.
Giordano took leave from his office shortly after Navy Times reported about that investigation.
I would not want to be the Master Chief replacing this guy. MCPON is stressful enough without having to come in and clean up someone’s mess.
That’s the best situation for the new guy…it really sucks though when you have to come in behind a superstar…everyone reminds you that you have big shoes to fill…I had to do that a couple of times and quickly learned to remind the onlookers that “thanks, but I brought my own shoes” and within a few months all was well…never got to relieve a dirtbag and that’s ok
That E-10 doesn’t deserve to be called Master Chief. I’ll leave it at that. All I can say is the Navy better get their shit in 1 bag and sew up both ends….yesterday!
A few of us have already chimed in… he’s an E-9 and nothing more.
With some of the pussy’s now in the Military who cry fowl when someone hurts their feelings, I’m going to reserve judgement until the IG Report comes out.
So the guy was an asshole in charge. Big deal, lot’s of them are still great leaders.
Article from Navy Times. MCPON gets absolutely slammed. Could go down as the worst MCPON ever.
https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2018/06/21/wheres-mcpon-senior-enlisted-grow-accustomed-to-not-having-their-leader/?utm_source=clavis
Yep… Giordano is gonna make E-9 Mike Stevens look like a fucking genius.
Here’s the acting MCPON until a new one is selected:
http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=106101
And the writing on the wall says…..
I hope for his retirement ceremony a cake is selected that adequately represents the culprit’s personality. Left to me, I would have a huge cake delivered in the form of a massive dick. Then the entire Chief’s Mess should simply walk away, saying nothing. Wonder how many good Sailors this prick drove from the Navy? Sounds as if he genuinely did not have a clue what he was doing or how to do it.