essay about chief

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Achievement 8 - Armstrong

How to become eligible for promotion.

1.   General Advancement Pre-Requisites  (Ref: CAPR 60-1, 5.2.3) Be a current CAP cadet, as shown in eServices . Possess a CAP uniform and wear it properly. Be able to recite the Cadet Oath from memory. Participate actively in unit meetings. Have spent a minimum of 8 weeks (56 days) in Achievement 7, unless eligible for a JROTC accelerated promotion (see CAPR 60-1, 5.6.2.3).

2.   Leadership :   Take Cadet Interactive Learn to Lead chapter 8 module OR pass an online test on  Learn To Lead chapter 8 , with a grade of 80% or higher, open-book. 

To find the test and Cadet Interactive module go to eServices > Cadet Programs >Online Learning and Tests.

Drill and Ceremonies  performance test

3.   Aerospace:    Take an  Aerospace Dimensions  Cadet Interactive module OR pass an online test with a grade of 80% or higher, open-book. You may take the  Aerospace Dimensions  modules in any order.

4.   Fitness:   Have attained the Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ) in the Cadet Physical Fitness Test (CPFT), within the previous 180 days, under the "run plus 2 out of 3" rule. 

5.   Character:     Participate in at least 1 character activity in the squadron.    

6.   Special Requirement: You must write a 300-500 word essay and present a 5 to 7 minute speech to the unit on one of the topics below. A senior member will evaluate the essay and speech using these  critique forms .

Explain why America’s aerospace power is vital to commerce, science or national security.

Describe leadership mistakes you have made and explain what you learned from them.

Explain the difference between followership and leadership.

7.   Honor Credit:   Available.  Complete Learn to Lead Chapter 8 test, Learn to Lead Chapter 8 Interactive module, Aerospace Dimensions module test, AND Aerospace Dimensions Interactive module.

Leadership Expectations

Fulfilling the promotion eligibility requirements above is only half the battle. You also need to show that you have some leadership skills. Look at the goals below and once in a while ask yourself how well you're doing in those areas. Attitude Maintains a positive attitude and encourages good attitudes in others; does not flaunt rank or authority

Core Values Displays commitment to Core Values; promotes team spirit, professionalism, and good sportsmanship as a team leader

Communication Skills Proficient in informal public speaking (i.e., in giving directions to and training junior cadets)

Sense of Responsibility Enforces standards; trustworthy in supervising a small team and leading them in fulfillment in a series of simple tasks; given a plan, is able to carry it out

Interpersonal Skills Guides and coaches junior cadets; recognizes when junior cadets need help; leads by example; is not a "boss"

Critical Thinking Not applicable

Delegation Skills Not applicable  

Typical Duties Upon Promotion

Support staff NCO, flight sergeant, first sergeant, or flight commander  

About Neil Armstrong

Cadet heritage document.

Heraldry of the Armstrong Achievement Ribbon

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Dream Career — Why I Want to Be a Chief Petty Officer

Why I Want to Be a Chief Petty Officer

• Categories: Dream Career

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Words: 788 |

Updated: 13 December, 2023

Words: 788 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Who is a chief, future mess challenges, making a change, why do i want to be chief, works cited, video version.

• Elmore, R. (2018). The Navy's Enlisted Chiefs: Their Role in the Service and How They Lead. Naval Institute Press.
• U.S. Navy. (2020). Chief Petty Officer Heritage. Retrieved from https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Heritage/Chief-Petty-Officer/
• Stavridis, J., & Ancell, R. D. (2017). The Leader's Bookshelf II: Navy Leadership. Naval Institute Press.
• Ewen, R. B., & U.S. Navy. (2014). Navy Warfighters' Guide to the Chief Petty Officer. Government Printing Office.
• Finn, C. L. (2013). Navy Chief: A Navy SEALs Story. Post Hill Press.
• Roberts, W. (2019). Leadership at Sea: Wisdom for the Voyage. Naval Institute Press.
• USNI News. (2022). Leadership & Seamanship. Retrieved from https://www.usni.org/leadership-and-seamanship
• U.S. Navy. (2017). Navy Core Values. Retrieved from https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Training/Navy-Core-Values/
• Owen, J. H., & U.S. Navy. (2019). Naval Leadership in the Atlantic World: The Age of Revolution and Reform, 1700-1850. Government Printing Office.
• Government Publishing Office. (2020). The Bluejacket's Manual (26th ed.). Government Printing Office.

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Chief Joseph

Chief Joseph was a Nez Perce chief who, faced with settlement by whites of tribal lands in Oregon, led his followers in a dramatic effort to escape to Canada.

(1840-1904)

Who Was Chief Joseph?

When the United States attempted to force the Nez Perce to move to a reservation in 1877, Chief Joseph reluctantly agreed. Following the killing of a group of white settlers, tensions erupted again, and Chief Joseph tried to lead his people to Canada, in what is considered one of the great retreats in military history.

Early Years

The leader of one band of the Nez Perce people, Chief Joseph was born Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt in 1840 in the Wallowa Valley in what is now Oregon. His formal Native American name translates to Thunder Rolling Down a Mountain, but he was largely known as Joseph, the same name his father, Joseph the Elder, had taken after being baptized in 1838.

Joseph the Elder's relationship with the whites had been unprecedented. He'd been one of the early Nez Perce leaders to convert to Christianity, and his influence had gone a long way toward establishing peace with his white neighbors. In 1855, he forged a new treaty that created a new reservation for the Nez Perce.

But that peace was fragile. After gold was discovered in the Nez Perce territory, white prospectors began to stream onto their lands. The relationship was soon upended when the United States government took back millions of acres it had promised to Joseph the Elder and his people.

The irate chief denounced his former American friends and destroyed his Bible. More significantly, he refused to sign off on the boundaries of this "new" reservation and leave the Wallowa Valley.

Leader of His People

Following Joseph the Elder's death in 1871, Chief Joseph assumed his father's leadership role as well as the positions he'd staked out for his people. As his father had done before him, Chief Joseph, along with fellow Nez Perce leaders, chiefs Looking Glass and White Bird, balked at the resettlement plan.

As tensions mounted, the three chiefs sensed that violence was imminent. In 1877, recognizing what a war could mean for their people, the chiefs backed down and agreed to the new reservation boundaries.

Just before the move, however, warriors from White Bird's band attacked and killed several white settlers. Chief Joseph understood there would be brutal repercussions and in an effort to avoid defeat, and most likely his own death, he led his people on what is now widely considered one of the most remarkable retreats in military history.

Over the course of four long months, Chief Joseph and his 700 followers, a group that included just 200 actual warriors, embarked on a 1,400-mile march toward Canada. The journey included several impressive victories against a U.S. force that numbered more than 2,000 soldiers.

But the retreat took its toll on the group. By the fall of 1877 Chief Joseph and his people were exhausted. They had come within 40 miles of the Canadian border, reaching the Bear Paw Mountains of Montana, but were too beaten and starving to continue to fight.

Having seen his warriors reduced to just 87 fighting men, having weathered the loss of his own brother, Olikut, and having seen many of the women and children near starvation, Chief Joseph surrendered to his enemy, delivering one of the great speeches in American history.

"I am tired of fighting," he said. "Our chiefs are killed. Looking Glass is dead. Toohoolhoolzote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say, 'Yes' or 'No.' He who led the young men [Olikut] is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are—perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever."

Final Years

Regarded in the American press as the "Red Napoleon," Chief Joseph achieved great acclaim in the latter half of his life. Still, not even his standing among the whites could help his people return to their homeland in the Pacific Northwest.

Following his surrender, Chief Joseph and his people were escorted, first to Kansas, and then to what is present-day Oklahoma. Joseph spent the next several years pleading his people's case, even meeting with President Rutherford Hayes in 1879.

Finally, in 1885, Joseph and others were allowed to return to the Pacific Northwest, but it was far from a perfect solution. So many of his people had already perished, either from war or disease, and their new home was still miles from their true homeland in the Wallowa Valley.

Chief Joseph did not live to see again the land he'd known as a child and young warrior. He died on September 21, 1904, and was buried in the Colville Indian Cemetery on the Colville Reservation in the state of Washington.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Joseph
• Birth Year: 1840
• Birth date: March 3, 1840
• Birth State: Oregon
• Birth City: Wallowa Valley
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Chief Joseph was a Nez Perce chief who, faced with settlement by whites of tribal lands in Oregon, led his followers in a dramatic effort to escape to Canada.
• Astrological Sign: Pisces
• Death Year: 1904
• Death date: September 21, 1904
• Death State: Washington
• Death City: Colville Reservation
• Death Country: United States

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Chief Joseph Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/political-figure/chief-joseph
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: April 15, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014
• From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.

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What Becoming a Chief Petty Officer Means To Me

BY ABHC( AW/SW) MICHAEL G. CARBONE

NAS Brunswick, Air Operations

Looking back at the heritage of the Chief Petty Officers, their service, sacrifice and leadership: in peace, wars and in times of national crisis, I fully acknowledge that I have an enormous obligation to anyone with the title "Sailor" to strive towards excellence.

I am indebted to many Master Chiefs, Senior Chiefs and Chief Petty Officers that guided me towards my selection. I did not get here on my own.. I will not fail them.

I am indebted to my Sailors who spent late hours with me leading them, in harsh and sometimes dangerous environments, during flight deck operations as crash crew members, and sometimes risking their lives to achieve the mission, or to save the lives of shipmates in harms way.  The whole time I believed that that I was building them..Now I realize, at the same time, they were building me. I did not get here on my own.. I will not fail them.

I am indebted to my family, my wife and two boys. Who stand by me everyday. They are Patriots. Each time our nation has called and their husband/Dad had to go, they stood on the pier or airport sometimes sad but always proud. I love them. I did not get here on my own.. I will not fail them.

Some people call this a milestone in a Navy career..  I call it "The proudest damn thing I've ever achieved." .....But I did not get here on my own.

I will be looked at as the example. I will be challenged and when need be, I will have to be hard. but always fair. The Chiefs Mess is the keel or foundation of any ship or station. I can not become weak in any fashion, but I know when the time comes when I need support, my brothers and sisters of the Chiefs Mess will be there..and I will not fail them.

Our Nation needs strong and focused leaders, solutions not problems. I did not join the Navy for the college.  I joined the Navy because it was the right thing to do. With this outlook, a Chief is the right thing to be. I am deeply honored by this title and position. I feel that I will be able to build strong and well-trained leaders who will relieve our watch.

I will be the guardian of my Sailors. I am the person the worried parents, spouses and children put their trust in to take care of their loved ones while deployed, at war or in everyday tasking. I am accountable to them. I am dedicated them. I am committed to their excellence, readiness and standards. I have to be ..because I will be their Chief.

I will do the right thing, even when it's not popular, because I am obligated by a fowled anchor and a community of loyal comrades with the same goals and customary traditions of Unity, Service and Navigation towards our Navy.

I thank God for becoming what you are.

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Leadership Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on leadership.

First of all, Leadership refers to the quality of leading people. Probably, it is one of the most important aspects of life. Above all, Leadership has led to the progress of human civilization . Without good Leadership, no organization or group can succeed. Furthermore, not everyone has this quality. This is because effective Leadership requires certain important characteristics.

Qualities of a Good Leader

First of all, confidence is the most quality. A leader must have strong self-confidence. A person lacking in confidence can never be a good leader. A person must be confident enough to ensure others follow him. The leader must have confidence in his decisions and actions. If he is unsure, then how can people have the desire to follow him.

A good leader must certainly inspire others. A leader must be a role model for his followers. Furthermore, he must motivate them whenever possible. Also, in difficult situations, a leader must not lose hope. How can a leader inspire people if he himself is hopeless?

Honesty is another notable quality of a leader. Honesty and Integrity are important to earn the love of followers. Above all, honesty is essential to win the trust of the people. Probably, every Leadership which loses trust is bound to fail. People will not work with full effort due to an immoral leader.

Good communication is a must for a good leader. This is because poor communication means the wrong message to followers. Furthermore, good communication will increase the rate of work. Also, the chances of mistakes by followers will reduce.

Another important quality is decision making. Above all, if a leader makes poor decisions then other qualities will not matter. Furthermore, good decision making ensures the success of the entire group. If the leader makes poor decisions, then the efforts of followers won’t matter.

A good leader must be an excellent innovator. He must display a creative attitude in his work. Most noteworthy, innovation is a guarantee of survival of a group or innovation. Without creative thinking, progress is not possible.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Real-Life Examples of Good Leadership

Mahatma Gandhi was an excellent example of a good leader. He was a staunch believer in non-violence. With his brilliant Leadership skills, he made the British leave India. Probably, this was the most unique independence struggle. This is because Gandhi got freedom without any violence.

Abraham Lincoln was another notable leader. Most noteworthy, he ended the slavery system in the United States. Consequently, he made many enemies. However, he was a man of massive self-confidence. His struggle against slavery certainly became an inspiration.

Sir Winston Churchill was a great patriotic Englishman. Most noteworthy, he led Britain in the 2nd World War. Furthermore, he was extremely inspirational. He inspired Britain to fight against Nazi Germany. His great communication motivated the entire country at a time of hopelessness.

To conclude, Leadership is required in probably every sphere of life. Good leadership is the door to success. In contrast, bad leadership is a guarantee of failure. Consequently, good leaders are what make the world go round.

FAQs on Leadership

Q.1 Which is the most important quality for being a good leader? A.1 The most important quality for being a good leader is self-confidence.

Q.2 Why Sir Winston Churchill is a good leader? A.2 Sir Winston Churchill is a good leader because he inspired Britain to fight in 2nd World War. Furthermore, his excellent communication also raised the motivation of his people.

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• Dictionary of African Christian Biography - Biography of Moshoeshoe
• Sesotho.web za - Basotho in Lesotho
• Moshoeshoe I - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
• Moshoeshoe I - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Moshoeshoe (born c. 1786, near the upper Caledon River, northern Basutoland [now in Lesotho]—died March 11, 1870, Thaba Bosiu, Basutoland) was the founder and first paramount chief of the Sotho (Basuto, Basotho) nation. One of the most successful Southern African leaders of the 19th century, Moshoeshoe combined aggressive military counteraction and adroit diplomacy against colonial invasions. He created a large African state in the face of attacks by the Boers and the British , raiders from the south east coastal lowlands of Africa, and local African rivals.

Moshoeshoe was the son of Mokhachane, the chief of the Mokoteli. As a young man, Moshoeshoe—then known by his post circumcision name of Letlama (“The Binder”)—won a reputation for leadership by conducting daring cattle raids. In early adulthood he took the name Moshoeshoe, an imitation of the sounds made by a knife in shaving that symbolized his deft skills at rustling cattle. His acquaintance with the chief Mohlomi, who was revered as a wise man, strengthened his capacity for generous treatment of allies and enemies alike.

In the late 1810s and early ’20s, European land invasions, labour needs, and trade heightened Southern African disturbances and led to migration in the region. Moshoeshoe led his people south to the nearly impregnable stronghold of Thaba Bosiu (“Mountain at Night”) in the western Maloti Mountains , where his following expanded to other African peoples attracted by the protection he was able to provide. He eventually united the various small groups to form the Sotho nation, called Basutoland by English-speaking persons. He strengthened his new nation by raiding local Tembu and Xhosa groups for cattle and adopting the use of horses and firearms. In the cold Highveld he was able to defeat mounted Griqua and Korana raiders with his own mounted cavalry and expanded his control into the Caledon valley.

In 1833 he welcomed missionaries of the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society (though he never became a Christian himself), and he used them to cultivate good diplomatic relationships with British politicians in Cape Town . Moshoeshoe’s greatest threat (and opportunity) came with the Boer invasions—the Great Trek —after the mid-1830s. The rival Boer and Sotho groups fought for control of the fertile farming lands of the Caledon valley, with the British arbitrating by drawing boundary lines that at first favoured but then disadvantaged the Sotho.

In 1848, when the British annexed the Orange River Sovereignty to the east of Moshoeshoe’s stronghold, he found himself exposed to direct Anglo-Boer invasion. Moshoeshoe’s Sotho forces twice defeated overconfident and undersupported British armies, first in 1851 at Viervoet and again in late 1852 at the battle of Berea near Thaba Bosiu. Moshoeshoe continued to fight against encroachment on Sotho lands, and in the following year he defeated and absorbed the Tlokwa, local African rivals.

Wanting to avoid the time and expense required to defeat the Sotho, the British gave the Boers of the Orange River Sovereignty (renamed the Orange Free State) independence at the Bloemfontein Convention of 1854 . During the next 10 years, Moshoeshoe was able to inflict further defeats on the Boers, who were disorganized in their efforts to unite and repel the Sotho. At the Treaty of Aliwal North in 1858, the Sotho regained control of land on both sides of the Caledon River , a perhaps unparalleled assertion of black expansionism against contending whites in Southern Africa .

After the Boers of the Orange Free State united behind Pres. J.H. Brand in 1864, however, the long land war turned against Moshoeshoe. He was forced to give up most of his earlier gains at the Treaty of Thaba Bosiu in 1866, and during 1867 he faced complete defeat. This was prevented when the British high commissioner of the Cape Colony , Sir Philip Wodehouse, annexed Moshoeshoe’s now truncated territory as Basutoland in 1868. Though Moshoeshoe’s power waned in the last years of his life, the Sotho continue to venerate his name, and he is considered to be the father of his country .

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Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce War

On October 5, 1877, Chief Hinmatóowyalahtq̓it, also known as Chief Joseph, rode on his horse to the foot of a bluff at Bears Paw Mountains in northern Montana, approximately 40 miles from the Canadian border. If he had made it to Canada, he and the Nez Perce people would be free. Instead, his conquerors Col. Nelson A. Miles and General Oliver Otis Howard awaited his surrender. “Draped [in a] blanket about him, and carrying his rifle in the hollow of one arm,” Joseph approached the two men he had been fighting for months “with a quiet pride, not exactly defiance.” Joseph then “held out his rifle in token of submission” to first General Howard and then Col. Miles, who accepted the weapon. An interpreter named Arthur Chapman stepped forward with a pencil and paper pad between Joseph and the US Army officials to record the chief’s surrender. The words Chapman was about to translate became one of the most celebrated speeches in American history.

The following post is by guest contributor Brenden Woldman

The Nez Perce People

Living in the Pacific Northwest along the lower Snake River and the Salmon and Clearwater rivers in modern-day northeastern Oregon, southeastern Washington, and central Idaho, the Nimíipuu tribe, more commonly known as the Nez Perce, had long and peaceful relations with the United States. The Nez Perce made first contact with US officials in 1804 when the Army expedition of Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark came to their lands. The Nez Perce aided and resupplied Lewis and Clark’s expedition to show their hospitality, effectively saving the voyage from failure. In the 1830s, the Nez Perce helped Captain Benjamin Bonneville explore the region and welcomed the Army officer generously.  

In 1855, Chief Joseph’s father Chief Tuekakas, or Joseph the Elder, agreed to a treaty negotiation with the United States at Walla Walla. The treaty stipulated that the US would respect the inherent rights of the Nez Perce people and negotiated a settlement that would allow 7.5 million acres of land to be an exclusive reservation for the Nez Perce, which included the Wallowa homeland. However, US officials, settlers, and gold rushers began encroaching on the agreed-upon land once gold was discovered in the region. The federal government called for another treaty council in 1863 to renegotiate the settlement. This time, the terms were far harsher and became known to the Nez Perce as the “Thief Treaty.” The new treaty called for a 90% reduction in reservation size to 750,000 acres and included giving up the entire Wallowa territory.  

Joseph the Elder and other Nez Perce chiefs were appalled by the offer. While he and four other chiefs walked out of the negotiations, other Nez Perce leaders agreed to the new treaty, splitting the tribe into those who supported and were against the new deal. When Joseph the Elder began to succumb to illness, he told his son and eventual successor Joseph the Younger some advice when negotiating with the United States. “When you go into council with the white man,” he told the future leader of the Nez Perce, “always remember your country. Do not give it away.” Joseph agreed to his father’s wish. In 1871, Joseph the Elder died. His son was now known as Chief Joseph. 

Tensions Begin to Rise

Though relations between some members of the Nez Perce and the US began to sour in the 1860s and 1870s, by 1877, most within the tribe lived in the newly mapped out reservation along the Clearwater River in Western Idaho. They had adopted white American culture, including dressing like the white man, converting to Christianity, and moving past the traditional nomadic lifestyle of their ancestors to instead live as farmers. Still, the bands of Nez Perce, who refused to succumb to the US reservation system, were led by Chief Joseph, who believed they still had sovereign rights to the Wallowa Valley since they had not signed the revised 1863 treaty.  

With these small bands of Nez Perce slowly becoming more and more of a nuisance, the US Army sent General Oliver Otis Howard, a Civil War hero for the Union who had lost one arm during the Battle of Seven Pines, to deal with the situation. However, Howard was sympathetic to the Nez Perce’s pleas. Like many within the US Army, including General Philip H. Sheridan, who noted, “We took away [the Native American’s] country and their means of support… and against this they made war. Could anyone expect less?” Howard understood why many Native American tribes, including the Nez Perce, were angry at the US. Howard even wrote to the War Department in 1876 to note the folly in the federal government’s plan to oust the Nez Perce from their lands. “I think it is a great mistake to take from Joseph and his band of Nez Perce’s Indians that valley,” he wrote, “and possibly Congress can be induced to let these really peaceable Indians have this poor valley for their own.”  

In 1877, Howard initially wanted to calm tensions by offering to buy the Wallowa land from Joseph and his bands on behalf of the federal government. When Joseph refused, Howard told the chief that he had orders to remove the rebellious Nez Perce bands by force if necessary if they did not relocate to the Lapwai reservation in central Idaho within a month. Joseph did not understand why Howard and the US’s hostility toward him. “My people have always been the friends of the white man,” he told Howard. “Why are you in such a hurry? I cannot get ready to move in thirty days.” “If you let the time run over one day,” General Howard replied, “the soldiers will be there to drive you onto the reservation, and all your cattle and horses outside of the reservation at that time will fall into the hands of the white men.”  

Joseph was conflicted but eventually succumbed to Howard’s demands. “I knew I had never sold my country, and that I had no land in Lapwai; but I did not want bloodshed. I did not want my people killed. I did not want anybody killed… I said in my heart that, rather than have war I would give up my country. I would rather give up my father’s grave. I would give up everything rather than have the blood of white men upon the hands of my people.”  

Though Joseph capitulated to Howard’s demands for peace, other Nez Perce tribe members continued to disobey the orders. Upon speaking with Howard, Chief Toohoolhoolzote was outraged by the short amount of time the Nez Perce were given. “I am chief!” Toohoolhoolzote exclaimed. “I ask no man to come and tell me anything what I must do. I am chief here!” For his outburst, Howard arrested Toohoolhoolzote, further angering many in the tribe. But Joseph and the other chiefs were desperate for peace and began the long trek to the Laipai reservation. Then, all hell broke loose. In mid-June 1877, a group of young Nez Perce warriors slipped away from their group and killed 18 white settlers as vengeance for how the US had treated them. It was the first time in US-Nez Perce relations had the two been at war with each other.

The Nez Perce War Begins

Howard sent in a unit to squash the minor uprising and wrangle in the rest of the uncooperative Nez Perce at White Bird Canyon. So confident in his forces, Howard wired his superiors that “we will make short work of it.” But to Howard’s surprise, the Nez Perce defeated the attacking US forces, with Chief Joseph observing that some US soldiers “did not hold their position 10 minutes” before retreating. The shocking defeat caused Howard to call for reinforcements. He would not be surprised by the Nez Perce’s ability on the battlefield again.

Following their victory at White Bird Canyon, Joseph and the Nez Perce began a three-month journey attempting to flee US Army forces who were actively pursuing them. Even though the Nez Perce only had a few hundred warriors in their ranks with no formal military training, their natural warrior abilities and the tactics implemented by Chief Looking Glass and Chief White Bird made the small band a mighty fighting force. Though Joseph was not a war chief, he took care of upwards of 500 women, children, and older members of the fleeing tribe. 

In early July, the Nez Perce were victorious against the pursuing US at Cottonwood and Clearwater River before Chief Looking Glass began trekking through the Bitterroot Mountains in the Montana territory. Joseph and the other chiefs believed that they would be safe if they could reach their Crow Nation allies in Montana. However, after being cut off by Colonel John Gibbon at the Battle of the Big Hole on August 9-10, the bloody stalemate caused the Nez Perce to redirect themselves by returning to Idaho and then marching toward the Yellowstone Plateau with hopes they could connect with the Crow.  

But to Joseph’s surprise, the Crow Nation decided to align with the US and aid in the Army’s pursuit of the Nez Perce. “Many snows the Crows have been our friends,” Joseph remembered retrospectively. “But now, like the Bitterroot Salish, turned enemies. My heart was just like fire.”  

The Flight to Canada and the Battle of Bear Paw Mountains

Alone and with no friends in the United States, the Nez Perce decided to flee across the Canadian border to find refuge with famed Lakota chief Sitting Bull. They continued their long trek across the Montana territory throughout the late summer and early autumn months. By late September, Joseph and the Nez Perce had traveled more than 1,500 miles, fought in 17 engagements against the combined force of over 3,000 US soldiers and Native American scouts, and had beaten or evaded capture against every force sent against them. The tactics and tenacity of the Nez Perce earned the tribe respect from their adversaries. John Fitzgerald, an Army surgeon, admitted in a letter that he was “beginning to admire their bravery and endurance in the face of so many well-equipped enemies,” while Colonel Nelson A. Miles wrote to his wife that the “whole Nez Perce movement is unequaled in the history of Indian warfare.”   

Unrelenting in their search for freedom and knowing that General Howard’s forces were two days behind them, the Nez Perce stopped to rest at Snake Creek near Bears Paw Mountains, 40 miles from the Canadian border. Unbeknownst to Joseph and the Nez Perce, Col. Miles was just as relentless in his pursuit of them. Leading the 5 th Infantry, the 2 nd and 7 th Cavalry, and Lakota and Cheyenne warriors, Miles and his 450-man force made the brutal 260-mile journey from East Montana to the Bears Paw Mountains in nine days to intercept the Nez Perce. On the morning of September 30, Col. Miles and his forces began attacking the Nez Perce at Bears Paw. Wave after wave of Miles’ forces was beaten back by the Nez Perce. Even after the death of Chief Toohoolhoolzote, the Nez Perce endured. 

However, the Nez Perce’s horses, the key for them to make one last escape to the Canadian border, had run off in a panic once the battle was underway. Black Eagle recalled when he realized the horses were gone: “I left going for the horses. I saw our horses not far away. The horses were wise to the shooting and all began to stampede.” Without their means of escape, Joseph and the Nez Perce were surrounded. 

“I Will Fight No More Forever”

Surrounded and with the weather turning into a snowstorm, Chief Joseph and his people endured a five-day siege by Miles’ forces. During this time, Chief Looking Glass would perish, and while a few Nez Perce were able to slip away and meet Sitting Bull in Canada, the Lakota chief declared that no force would be sent to rescue them. Negotiating with Col. Miles, Chief Joseph was sent as the leading diplomat to end the siege. Miles was clear in his demands: Joseph that they could return home to the Wallowa Valley the following spring if they surrendered. “My people were divided about surrendering,” Joseph recalled, “but I could not bear to see my wounded men and women suffer any longer. We had lost enough already. Colonel Miles promised that we might return to our own country with what stock we had left. I thought we could start again. I believed Colonel Miles, or I never would have surrendered.”

At approximately 2 pm on October 5, 1877, Chief Joseph rode up and got off his horse, presented his rifle as a token of surrender to General Howard and Colonel Miles, and surrendered. Looking at the two men that had defeated him, he spoke with eloquent pride but with pragmatic duty to his people:

I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed; Looking Glass is dead. Toohoolhoolzote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men, now, who say ’yes’ or ’no’[that is, vote in council]. He who led on the young men [Joseph’s brother, Ollicut] is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people–some of them–have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are—perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find; maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever!

“Died of a Broken Heart”

The Battle of Bear Paw Mountain marked the end of the Nez Perce War. Joseph and his people were sent on a riverboat to the Dakota territory. Unfortunately, the promises that General Howard and Col. Miles gave to Joseph were quickly broken. Commanding General of the Army William Tecumseh Sherman, the Union Civil War hero whose middle name was named after the famed Shawnee war chief, felt it necessary to keep them away from their homeland. Sherman praised the fighting spirit of the Nez Perce, noting that “The Indians throughout displayed a courage and skill that elicited universal praise… Nevertheless, [the Nez Perce] would not settle down on lands set apart for them… They should never again be allowed to return to Oregon.”    

Joseph and the Nez Perce were loaded on a train and sent 2,000 miles from the Wallowa Valley to Oklahoma. Conditions were terrible in the new reservation, and many did not survive the winter. Among the first to perish was an older man named Halahtookit, who was believed to be the half-Native American son of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The son of the first American who the Nez Perce helped 70 years prior would die tragically on a US-controlled reservation. 

 Chief Joseph would regret believing in Howard and Miles’ promises. Jaded and cynical, Joseph would admit, “I am tired of talk that comes to nothing. It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and broken promises.” Chief Joseph spent the rest of his life living in the reservation system, forever mourning his decision to surrender. On September 21, 1904, Chief Hinmatóowyalahtq̓it, the man known as Joseph, died. He was 64 years old. In his final moments, the white physician who tended to Joseph concluded that the chief of the Nez Perce “died of a broken heart.”  

• Charles Erskine Scott Wood, “The Pursuit and Capture of Chief Joseph,” Digital history (Digital History, n.d.), https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=4058 , Ken Burns and Stephen Ives, The West: Episode 6: Fight No More Forever (1874-1877)  (PBS , 1996).
• Wood, “The Pursuit and Capture of Chief Joseph,” https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=4058  
• Wood, “The Pursuit and Capture of Chief Joseph,” https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=4058
• “Nez Percé,” Encyclopedia Britannica (Encyclopedia Britannica, inc., n.d.), https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nez-Perce-people . 
• “Nez Perce War,” Legends of America (Legends of America, n.d.), https://www.legendsofamerica.com/nez-perce-war/  
• “History,” Nez Perce Tribe (Nez Perce Tribe, n.d.), https://nezperce.org/about/history/ . 
• “The Treaty Period,” National Parks Service (U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d.), https://www.nps.gov/nepe/learn/historyculture/the-treaty-era.htm . 
• Jim Kershner, “Chief Joseph (1840-1904),” HistoryLink.org (HistoryLink.org, n.d.), https://www.historylink.org/File/8975 , “History,” Nez Perce Tribe, https://nezperce.org/about/history/ , “The Treaty Period,” National Parks Service, https://www.nps.gov/nepe/learn/historyculture/the-treaty-era.htm  
• Kershner, “Chief Joseph (1840-1904),” https://www.historylink.org/File/8975
• Burns and Ives, The West: Episode 6: Fight No More Forever (1874-1877)
• Burns and Ives, The West: Episode 6: Fight No More Forever (1874-1877) , “White Bird Battlefield History,” National Parks Service (U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d.), https://www.nps.gov/nepe/learn/historyculture/white-bird-battlefield-history.htm . 
• Kansas Historical Society, “Philip Sheridan,” Kansapedia (Kansas Historical Society, November 2011), https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/philip-sheridan/17323 . 
• Anne Richardson, “Oliver Otis Howard – General in the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Indian Wars,” Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission (Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission, n.d.), http://www.ochcom.org/howard/ , Burns and Ives, The West: Episode 6: Fight No More Forever (1874-1877)
• Cyrus Townsend Brady, American Fights and Fighters Series: Northwestern Fights and Fighters: Chief Joseph’s Own Story (New York City, NY: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1907), https://books.google.com/books?id=QdtDAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false , 60-61.
• Ibid., 60-61 
• Yellow Wolf and Lucullus Virgil McWhorter, Yellow Wolf: His Own Story (Caldwell, ID: Caxton Printers, Ltd., 1940), https://archive.org/details/yellowwolfhisown002070mbp , 39.
• Burns and Ives, The West: Episode 6: Fight No More Forever (1874-1877) , “White Bird Battlefield History,” National Parks Service, https://www.nps.gov/nepe/learn/historyculture/white-bird-battlefield-history.htm  
• “The Nez Perce War of 1877,” www.army.mil (The United States Army, n.d.), https://www.army.mil/article/28124/the_nez_perce_war_of_1877 . 
• Burns and Ives, The West: Episode 6: Fight No More Forever (1874-1877) , Michael P. Malone, Richard B. Roeder, and William L. Lang, Montana: A History of Two Centuries (Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 2001), 135.
• Burns and Ives, The West: Episode 6: Fight No More Forever (1874-1877) , “History & Culture: Big Hole National Battlefield,” National Parks Service (U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d.), https://www.nps.gov/biho/learn/historyculture/index.htm , “Flight of the Nez Perce: Yellowstone,” National Parks Service (U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d.), https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/historyculture/flightnezperce.htm  
• Yellow Wolf and McWhorter, Yellow Wolf: His Own Story, 187.
• Burns and Ives, The West: Episode 6: Fight No More Forever (1874-1877) , Sherry Lynn Smith, The View from Officers’ Row: Army Perceptions of Western Indians (Tucson, Arizona: University of Arizona Press, 1995), https://books.google.me/books?id=4f4xUe-bGq8C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_vpt_read#v=onepage&q&f=false , 155.
• Smith , The View from Officers’ Row, 155.
• Burns and Ives, The West: Episode 6: Fight No More Forever (1874-1877) , “Bear Paw Battlefield History,” National Parks Service (U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d.), https://www.nps.gov/nepe/learn/historyculture/bear-paw-battlefield-history.htm  
• Burns and Ives, The West: Episode 6: Fight No More Forever (1874-1877) , “Bear Paw Battlefield History,” https://www.nps.gov/nepe/learn/historyculture/bear-paw-battlefield-history.htm  
• “Today in History – October 5: Chief Joseph Surrenders,” The Library of Congress (The Library of Congress, n.d.), https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/october-05/ . 
• Burns and Ives, The West: Episode 6: Fight No More Forever (1874-1877) , Dee Brown, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West (New York, NY: Fall River Press, 2014), Chapter 13.
• Kershner, “Chief Joseph (1840-1904),” https://www.historylink.org/File/8975  

Additional Resources About American West and Native Americans

American West Timeline

Native American Tribes and Nations: A History

The cattle industry in the american west.

Native American People – Origins

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Chief Seattle’s Speech 1854 Summary & Analysis

Chief seattle’s speech 1854 — an introduction.

Chief Seattle (Si’ahl) (c. 1786 – June 7, 1866) was a public leader, the chief of the native American (Red Indian) Suquamish and Duwamish tribes. The American city Seattle is named after him. He is especially known for his ‘speech’ , or sometimes referred to as ‘letter’, delivered in 1854. This speech was a response to the American Government’s land treaty to buy the native lands proposed by Issac Stevens, the Governor of Washington Territory.

Seattle’s speech is regarded as a powerful plea for respect of native American rights and environmental values. Seattle criticized the white people’s imperialistic attitude and their way of reckless developments affecting the natural environment. In fact, it was one of the earliest instances where someone expressed great concern over the degradation of nature and ecological balance. He warned us against the rapid progress of western civilization and pitched for the need to protect nature. And, this is why Chief Seattle’s speech is acclaimed with such high esteem.

One important thing to know, Seattle delivered the speech in his native language Lushootseed and it has been translated and rewritten by several authors since then. Therefore, the authenticity of the available texts is not confirmed. The oldest available record of this document is Henry A. Smith’s transcript published in the  Seattle Sunday Star  in 1887. But modern critics see it as a “flowery Victorian prose” far from the original speech of Seattle.

Chief Seattle’s Speech: Summary & Explanation

Yonder sky that has wept tears of compassion upon my people for centuries untold, and which to us appears changeless and eternal, may change. Today is fair. Tomorrow it may be overcast with clouds.

Then the speaker ascertains his reliability by comparing his words to the stars that never change. So, he will not change his stance in response to the Government’s proposal of a land treaty with the natives.

The White Chief (the Governor) had arrived with the proposal and the message of friendship from the Big Chief (the President). Seattle says that it is kind of them to offer the natives their goodwill and friendship, because he knows that the government has no need of the natives’ friendship in return.

Seattle speaks of the deplorable condition of his people. He remembers that once they had filled the entire country, but now, there are only few people left in their tribes. They are on the verge of an extinction. So, actually they don’t need the vast land any more.

And for this doom of the Red Indians, Seattle mainly accuses the White people’s act of forcing their way into the native lands. The white people regard themselves as superior and supreme and do not respect the tribal people’s land rights and cultural values. Seattle also criticizes the reckless manners of the young men of his own tribe. According to him, the youths should be more sensible and responsible.

Seattle says, the President has offered to protect the native women, children and the old men from the attacks of their old outside enemies like the Haidas and Tsimshians if they agree to the land treaty. In that case, the President would really be their protector, their father. But he doubts if that will be ever possible.

The white people have received all the love and care of God. The tribal people have been deprived of the love, guidance and protection of God and finally come to their meager existence.

To the tribal people, the ashes of their ancestors are sacred and they visit their resting ground to show their respect for those. But, as Seattle complains, the white people have no feelings for their ancestors. They wander far from their graves without any regret.

Again, the white people don’t seem to love this world any more after they die. So they never visit their people and places again. But, the tribal people never forget “ this beautiful world that gave them being ” and continue to visit their loved ones to guide, console and comfort them.

Anyway, Seattle says that he may still agree to the government’s proposal but the natives should be allowed to visit the resting grounds of their ancestors.

But should we accept it, I here and now make this condition that we will not be denied the privilege without molestation of visiting at any time the tombs of our ancestors, friends, and children.

He again warns the President to be just and deal kindly with his people. He believes that death is just a change of worlds and the spirits of the natives will still be there after their death to take revenge if they are treated badly.

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Make Better Use of the ‘Super Chiefs’

In a recent Proceedings article, retired Navy Captain Kevin Eyer critiqued the way the Navy selects and assigns command master chiefs (CMCs). 1 It was encouraging to see a senior officer express interest in the health of what is now collectively called the Command Senior Enlisted Leader (CSEL) program—but the article points to a much broader issue. Rather than focus solely on CSEL assignment and utilization, the Navy needs to determine how to use its entire pool of senior enlisted professionals to take full advantage of their knowledge, skills, and abilities to improve warfighting readiness. To consider where the Navy should go, it is essential to understand where it has been.

The Origin of Super Chiefs

In 1948, Machinist’s Mate Chief Richard McKenna was the U.S. Naval Institute’s General Prize Essay Contest winner with the essay “The Post-War Chief Petty Officer: A Closer Look.” His subject was the deleterious effect on senior enlisted morale of the excess number of chief petty officers (CPOs) after World War II. 2 He identified the difficulties with the situation as “(1) the subjection to apparently endless series of transfers, and (2) the difficulty of obtaining a duty assignment commensurate with training and ability.”

The other military services encountered the same problem, and in 1958, Congress amended the Career Compensation Act of 1949 to authorize two new pay grades—senior chief petty officer (E-8) and master chief petty officer (E-9). As explained in the Chief Petty Officer’s Guide , “One problem immediately facing the Navy was the definition of roles and responsibilities for the new paygrades, then dubbed ‘super Chiefs’. . . . Indeed, for a considerable period, the major distinction among rates was the pay increment only.” 3

With two new paygrades, however, there came opportunity. The Williams Board, convened in 1959 to study the programs and the new rates, recommended the limited duty officer (LDO) program be expanded because of a junior officer shortage and the warrant officer program  be phased out. Instead, senior and master chief petty officers would take on some of the warrant officer duties. The issue again was analyzed in October 1963 by the Settle Board, which found that the:

expected functional overlapping of the duties of warrant officers and the new senior enlisted grades had not been demonstrated. The phase-out of warrants had created a void not effectively filled by LDOs and master chiefs—a void incompatible with the Navy’s needs for more, not fewer, officer technical specialists. Accordingly, the warrant officer program was revitalized with a corresponding reduction in the LDO program. 4

The potential to increase the technical authority of the new senior chief petty officers (SCPOs) and master chief petty officers (MCPOs) was never realized.

In 1967, the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) office was established. In the years that followed, successive MCPONs increased its influence; expanded the nascent cadre of the command master chief (CMC) predecessor—the master chief petty officer of the command (MCPOC); and helped shape the dramatic increase in the professionalization and education of the enlisted force.

In 1978, MCPON Tom Crowe convinced the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) to formalize the roles and responsibilities of the CPO rates. CPOs would be expected to be the top technical authorities within a rating, while SCPOs would be the senior technical supervisors within a rating and occupational field, and MCPOs would provide administrative and managerial leadership on broader Navy, fleet, and force policies and processes. This basic construct remains in place today, but most of the SCPO and MCPO billets are advisory in nature, often “assisting” or “providing advice.” Rather than look for where increased technical authorities could be assigned, the Navy expanded “advisory positions.”

At the turn of the 21st century, then-CNO Admiral Vern Clark and then-MCPON Terry Scott started to think differently. Recognizing the increased capability of enlisted naval professionals, Clark often expressed the Navy’s need to “blur the lines” of authority and responsibility between the wardroom and CPO mess. In 2003, Scott convened the MCPON’s panel to brainstorm where the CPO mess needed to be in 2015. Using strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats (SWOT) analysis, the panel explored the authority and responsibility afforded U.S. Coast Guard CPOs, discussed the potential “right mix” of junior officers and chiefs on littoral combat ships, and tried to define the expectations of modern SCPOs and MCPOs to increase the performance of the CPO mess.

With the CNO’s support, these discussions informed new policies to prepare junior CPOs for increased authority and responsibility. Professional military education courses and the Advanced Education Voucher program were introduced, high-potential CMCs were selected to attend the Naval War College, and the CMC/Chief of the Boat course was established. 5 Operationally, the chief-to-division-officer experiment filled all appropriate billets on the USS Decatur (DDG-73) with CPOs. 6 MCPON Scott referred to this as “recognition that our senior enlisted personnel are truly capable of taking on additional responsibilities. In many instances, they have been underutilized for a good period of time.” Because it was now clear that CPOs could run divisions, the best-qualified SCPOs and MCPOs could be commissioned as lieutenants (O-3s) and lieutenant commanders (O-4s) as required to fill roles as ships’ department heads.

Unfortunately, this program and several others like it, including a requirement for “rating-relevant” undergraduate degrees to advance to E-8, succumbed to poor strategic communication, implementation, and cultural pushback from CPOs and officers. 7 The next CNO, Admiral Mike Mullen, and the next MCPON, Master Chief Joe Campa (a graduate of the Naval War College), championed a resurgence of “deckplate leadership,” citing their desire not to disadvantage chiefs at selection boards. They opted not to adjust the degree-requirement timeline, yielding to the concerns of the CPO mess, and canceled the E-8 degree requirement. 8 They felt there was a need to refocus a Navy-wide CPO mess that had become overly invested in pursuing off-duty education. Many in the CPO mess lauded this reset. As former MCPON Bill Plackett said, “Campa . . . is directing the chiefs’ mess back to its rightful place [emphasis added] and role within the chain of command. It is refreshing.” 9

This reset showed that even at the top levels of the Navy, thought differed significantly regarding the role of CPOs. As a result, most pilot programs were discontinued, opportunity was lost, and traditional models of officer and enlisted promotion and assignment remained.

Time to Think Differently

Traditional Navy organizational structures and attitudes within both enlisted and officer “classes” constrain how far the Navy (and the military at large) has been willing and able to increase the authority and responsibility of enlisted naval professionals. Officers traditionally have represented the Navy’s “professional” class, while enlisted sailors are the “working” class. Chiefs belong to a “blended” class. But with higher retention standards, technically advanced warfighting systems, and training and education yielding a more professional and capable enlisted force, the Navy must question the underlying values and belief systems regarding enlisted and officer capability and utilization. The long-held conceptions of what “enlisted” and “commissioned” mean inaccurately correspond to perceived importance and introduce cognitive bias that in turn shapes organizational thinking. For example, “enlisted” in its adjective form can both enhance personal pride and inform a perception of an organizational glass ceiling that limits opportunity. Outdated personnel models that rely on how a person enters the Navy are a hindrance. “E” and “O” designations refer to paths of entry based on education level, potential, and the authorities vested at that point. But in today’s more information-centric and less manual-labor-intensive work environment, as both enlisted and commissioned naval professionals mature, their skills and abilities can render these models less relevant and even anachronistic. This introduces opportunity for organizational flexibility, but the Navy must be open to the fact that “enlisted” or “commissioned” primarily refer to the way a person entered the organization.

Furthermore, the term “deckplate leader” does not account for the significantly increased competence of current SCPOs and MCPOs. The term most appropriately describes E-6 levels and below; it does not recognize that SCPOs and MCPOs have much more organizational influence. Lumping all midgrade to senior enlisted members into one broad category constrains thinking on how each rate could be used differently. It disproportionally emphasizes lower-level leadership, stifling creativity and initiative and disempowering E-5 and E-6 leaders.

Instead, the focus and energy of SCPOs and MCPOs should be upward, to shape broader organizational systems and processes. To maintain that the MCPO working on a flag staff is a deckplate leader is similar to equating a flag officer with a division officer. “Deckplate leader” may read well on a T-shirt, but consideration should be given to how the term shapes mental models to the Navy’s disadvantage.

Resurrect Opportunity

The vision and initiatives that CNO Clark and MCPON Scott championed to expand the authorities and responsibilities of SCPOs and MCPOs must be revisited. Navy leaders should ask hard questions. How many enlisted advisors are needed Navy-wide? Could the insight they provide be solicited differently, to allow SCPOs and MCPOs to fill more influential and authoritative technical roles? By law, only 1 percent of the enlisted billet structure is at the E-9 level, so each MCPO in a CSEL billet means one less for technical or program management. The surface warfare community is exploring the concept of a maintenance-professional rating to improve force material readiness and fill the gap in dedicated career maintenance managers. Naval aviation has filled this gap with the aviation maintenance administrationman (AZ) rating and maintenance SCPOs and MCPOs. 10

Navy and Coast Guard enlisted professionals have demonstrated that they can handle the authorities and responsibilities of billets such as commanding officer, officer of the deck, tactical action officer, engineering officer of the watch, aircraft pilot, and division officer. The Navy should resurrect the proven model of assigning high-performing CPOs to division-level leader billets and SCPOs and MCPOs to department-level billets. It should also, as in 1959, evaluate the number of chief warrant officer and LDO billets that can be filled by CPO, SCPO, or MCPO rates.

Historically, assigning officers to division- and department-level leadership positions has been done to ensure officers pass through experience wickets to assume the next leadership position. But in these positions, officers are being advised by an often well-educated enlisted professional of equal or senior experience. From a management perspective, this is inefficient. Most aviators filling maintenance officer billets seek the concurrence of the maintenance MCPO before taking any final decision. Thus, the MCPO appears best qualified to fill this department head billet.

Handing most technical management functions and authorities to the CPO mess would free officers to focus on tactical competence. For example, O-4 aviators could use the time previously spent filling maintenance department head billets to increase squadronwide tactical excellence. Surface warfare junior officers could use more time to hone ship-driving skills. Recoding certain department head and division officer billets for CPOs, SCPOs, or MCPOs and providing the requisite training and education to support this realignment would give CPOs opportunities for increased authority and responsibility. It would also afford officers the ability to focus on tactical warfighting proficiency while developing leadership skills and institutional knowledge.

Consideration also should be given to how to convert more officer and civilian billets on flag staffs to E-8 and E-9 billets. There is a need for MCPOs in key billets at sea, but their experience could be leveraged better in key billets on flag staffs. Again, long-standing beliefs must be reexamined. For example, enlisted paygrades are misaligned with the quality and capability of the modern force. 11 The Navy should investigate whether this situation is based on objective analysis or on a misplaced belief system. Analysis should compare the cost of assigning officers, senior enlisted, and civilian employees to a given billet or career path. Flag staff billets should be filled based on merit and the ability to meet “best qualified” standards. They should be offered across the entire span of officer, civilian, and enlisted paygrades.

In 2014, the Vice Chief of Naval Operations proposed a review and continual renewal of:

those same principles of competition, decentralized authority, and extended trust that have served us well for over 239 years. If properly nurtured and leveraged through holistic policy change—and better attuned to evolving social and economic forces at work—these founding principles will continue to provide the talented, courageous edge America has always counted on for its bright future. 12

Today’s environment is ripe for this opportunity, and many Sailor 2025 initiatives already are taking advantage of it. The concepts offered here require deeper organizational thought—and action. Updating the CMC program is not enough. MCPON, fleet, and force master chiefs must have the courage to look beyond today’s issues and revive the bold thinking and initiatives of 1958 and the 2000s, which sought to apply senior enlisted talent in new and better ways.

Since the grade of CPO was created in 1893, the Navy has invested in the professionalization of its CPO mess, yet it is not fully reaping the benefits. Making the best use of super chiefs deserves a closer look. Today’s super chiefs are capable of increased responsibilities to help the Navy achieve greater operational excellence—its most important objective.

Fleet Master Chief Kingsbury also wrote " Tapping the Power of the Chiefs ." 

1. Kevin Eyer, “ Time to Update the Command Master Chief Program ,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings 144, no. 10 (October 2018).

2. Richard McKenna, “ The Post-War Chief Petty Officer: A Closer Look ,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings 74, no. 12 (December 1948). 

3. Paul Kingsbury, Chief Petty Officer’s Guide , 2nd ed. (Annapolis, MD.: Naval Institute Press, 2017).

4. Office of the Chief of Naval Personnel, Limited Duty Officer and Chief Warrant Officer Professional Guidebook , 2011.

5. Naval Education and Training Command Public Affairs, “ Navy Institutes Professional Military Education Continuum ,” 21 November 2004. Office of the Chief of Naval Personnel, NAVADMIN 291/04 FY05, “ Advanced Education Voucher Program ,” 21 December 2004. Edward Flynn, “ Naval War College Graduates First Command Master Chiefs ,” Naval War College Public Affairs, 22 November 2005.

6. Commander, Naval Surface Force, “ Chiefs Moving into Division Officer Roles on Decatur ,” U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs, 30 October 2004.

7. Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, NAVADMIN 203/05, “ Senior Enlisted Education Initiative: Associates Degree for E8 ,” 19 August 2005.

8. Bill Houlihan,“ MCPON Takes Deckplate Leadership Message to the Far East ,”  Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Public Affairs, 20 June 2007.

9. Alexis Brown, “ MCPON Addresses Deckplate Leadership at San Diego Conference ,” Navy Region Southwest Public Affairs, 1 March 2007.

10. CAPT John Cordle, USN (Ret.), “ Professionalize Surface Maintenance Managers ,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings 144, no. 6 (June 2018).

11. Department of Defense, 2008, “ DoD Financial Management Regulation, volume 11A, chapter 6, appendix B, 6-B-1 ,” Office of DoD Financial Management.

12. VADM Bill Moran, USN, “ Once Again . . . A Moment Ripe for Change ,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings 140, no. 12 (December 2014)

Master Chief Paul Kingsbury, U.S. Navy (Retired)

Master Chief Kingsbury is a former nuclear-trained electrician’s mate who served in aircraft carriers and cruisers. His final assignment before retirement was as the Fleet Master Chief for U.S. Fleet Forces Command. He has published several articles in military journals and received awards in both the U.S. Naval Institute’s General Prize and Enlisted Prize essay contests. Paul is currently the acquisitions editor and director of enlisted outreach at the U.S. Naval Institute and author of the Chief Petty Officer’s Guide , 2nd edition.

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Understanding the chief of staff role.

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Archana Rao is the Chief of Staff to the CEO & VP of Corporate Strategy at Innova Solutions . Founder and Creator of Life-Work Doodles.

For anyone looking to understand and learn more about how to crack into and be successful in the Chief of Staff (CoS) role, here is what I have learned after one year as the Chief of Staff to the CEO at Innova Solutions.

Who is a Chief of Staff?

The Chief of Staff role—one that I've found is seldom clearly defined—is quickly gaining pertinence. In short, the CoS role is that of a strategic thought partner to your CEO—guiding, advising and executing through everything cultural, operational and strategic in the organization. You and your principal (in my case, the CEO) should align on a role definition and key strategic priorities on Day 1. It helps to understand the expectations beforehand, but it's necessary to be flexible, both early on and as your role evolves.

When and why do organizations need a CoS?

A CoS can add value at any stage of a company's journey and to any C-suite principal. The role, however, becomes crucial, particularly when organizations are in a phase of tremendous transformation. These include but are not limited to a pivot in strategic vision and mission, major rebranding initiatives, enterprise-level systems migrations, mission-critical product launches, building long-term cultural and operational excellence, etc. In general, if a CEO or principal is stretched too thin and needs a strategic thought partner and proxy, it is time to bring in a trusted Chief of Staff.

What value does a CoS bring to the CEO?

The CoS role solely exists to serve the organization at large, leaving personal affiliations aside. No other role in the organization is designed to do this. CEOs need the space and freedom to brainstorm, discuss options and vent frustrations without igniting panic through the ranks. Most importantly, as CoS, you play the role of a true confidant and trusted advisor to the CEO. Effective advisors are not just "yes" people; behind closed doors, they must be comfortable telling the CEO when they disagree. But in the end, you both stand a united front. You are the objective truth teller when the leader needs to hear it.

What roles does a CoS play?

The short answer is it depends on the day, the situation, the stage of your organization, and mostly on your principal. In my experience, no two days are alike as a Chief of Staff. Some days, you are the maestro conductor of a symphony (to align all stakeholders to a common strategic vision). On other days, you could play the role of the air traffic controller for major enterprise-wide initiatives (to anticipate bottlenecks and pitfalls, cautioning leaders to avoid dire downstream implications). You are often the communicator, linking the leadership team and the broader organization. You can leverage town halls, leadership off-sites, all-hands executive connects, and water cooler and hallway chats to clearly and concisely articulate the CEO's vision at all times to all stakeholders—both internal and external.

What makes someone successful in the CoS role?

I've found that highly successful CoS have a few skills in common. The first is rigorous analytical skills (both quantitative and qualitative). You are brought into vague problem statements fairly quickly, requiring you to build strong data-driven hypotheses and frameworks and bring structure to quickly problem-solve.

Second, you need to do this by building influence in a highly cross-functional and collaborative technique with experts who don't necessarily report to you.

Third, you need to clearly and succinctly communicate the strategic vision to all stakeholders and keep them accountable. Most of what you learn as a CoS is on the job—however, a background in the military, management consulting, investment banking or corporate strategy roles can provide the toolkit needed to give you a quick start in the CoS role.

What should you not do in the CoS role?

Don't mistake "position power" with "personal power." The first time you meet or interact with anyone in the organization, you carry the burden of your title and all that comes with it. Over time, you need to build genuine relationships with key stakeholders based solely on the value you add to the organization to build trust and personal influence. Exercise discretion during your interactions. As the CoS, you will be privy to critical decisions and discussions. Being a good listener for what is being said—and, more importantly, what is not—is key.

What resources helped me in the CoS role?

Being a CoS can be an isolating experience. By nature, the CoS role needs you to be an objective observer and connector across the entire organization, which is unlike any other role. To stay sane, it is crucial to find mentors and sounding boards early in the role. Internally, I rely immensely on my COO and CFO to provide guidance.

Today, more than even a year ago, there are incredible resources that helped me through the journey of being a Chief of Staff:

• The Chief of Staff Association has been a useful network. Getting accepted into this organization has provided insights into the experiences of CoSs around the world across private, government, military and nonprofits. The Chief of Staff Association's annual report also includes key insights.

• Ask a Chief of Staff who has been a supportive group to tap into for content and articles.

• The LinkedIn Library Course " Become a Chief of Staff."

• HBR articles, such as " The Case for a Chief of Staff."

The past year has been one of the most rigorous and high-growth stages of my career. I would highly recommend the Chief of Staff role for anyone looking to add value to fast-paced companies and catapult their learning in the business world.

Forbes Business Development Council is an invitation-only community for sales and biz dev executives. Do I qualify?

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What are the roles and responsibilities of a CFO?

CFO may stand for chief financial officer—but long gone are the days when the CFO’s purview was just finance.

Get to know and directly engage with senior McKinsey experts on the role of the CFO.

Michael Birshan and Kapil Chandra are senior partners in McKinsey’s London office, Andy West is a senior partner in the Boston office, and Kevin Carmody is a senior partner in the Chicago office.

For over a decade, McKinsey has conducted a biannual survey to take the global pulse of people in the CFO role. According to the most recent survey, the role is rapidly evolving. As their jobs expand, CFOs today have opportunities for leadership as never before—working together with C-suite peers, line managers, investors, and boards to focus on performance and capabilities, rather than just numbers.

Read on to find out how CFOs can meet modern challenges, based on McKinsey research and insights.

Learn more about McKinsey’s Strategy & Corporate Finance Practice .

What’s the core responsibility of a CFO?

For years, the simple answer was that the CFO leads a company’s finance function. But the role has expanded tremendously. Today’s CFO is a key colleague across businesses and functions, and is the CEO ’s strategic partner in maximizing value creation. The CFO helps with shaping portfolio strategies, undertaking major investment and financing decisions, and communicating with key stakeholders—all while leading a multitalented and technologically savvy finance team. Communication is a key part of the role, both with investors and boards. This goes beyond earnings calls: CFOs are responsible for building credibility for the strategic direction of the company.

The CFO and finance team can also model good financial and team-building practices for teams across the entire organization. This can include demonstrating to other teams the linkages among individual, team, and organizational performance.

Another critical aspect of the CFO job is dealing with risk. Managing risks associated with cash, capital, resource deployment, accounting compliance, and strategy remains core to the role even as it expands into nonfinancial realms.

Congratulations, you’ve started a new job as CFO. What are the first things you should do?

No matter how long you’ve been working at an organization—or in finance—your first day as a CFO is going to be a whole new ball game. McKinsey has developed seven key mindsets and practices that new finance leaders might adopt to help ensure long-term success.

Scope the challenge. CFOs should form an independent, fact-based view of the resources, support structures, and activities that the organization has in place to create value—as well as which ones actually do create value. Then they should make sure all C-suite colleagues, business unit leaders, and the board of directors  are aligned. This may be more difficult than it seems as leaders’ conclusions can be clouded by incomplete information and biases .

Adopt a bias for action. A company can’t achieve or sustain a competitive advantage by staying in place. The best CFOs are constantly looking for ways to create more value for the competitive landscape of the future—not the present. They do this by committing to innovation  and allocating resources to digital transformation  for all functions of the company.

Make space in your portfolio for a few bold bets. This bias for action could yield some big changes, even to core business functions. An effective CFO should make sure that every aspect of the business is always on the negotiating table—and should always be subject to a “grow or go” mentality. The best CFOs understand and communicate that it’s a losing bet not to take any risks .

Teach and translate. The best CFOs focus on frank dialogue with the CEO, the board, and the top team about the economics of the organization and clearly explain the consequences of making various trade-offs. Communicating in a way that everyone can understand means avoiding financial jargon. But avoiding oversimplification is equally important.

Be proactive about risk. As we’ve seen, risk is necessary in business. But some risks are outside the control of even the best-prepared executive. The effective CFO will help their organization respond to crises and build up organizational resilience  for the long term. McKinsey research shows that the companies that fared best during the 2008 financial crisis were those that used a number of interventions to balance out performance and position themselves for a strong recovery.

Think strategically about ESG. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns should stem from an organization’s unique business model. At a minimum, companies can use ESG to comprehensively consider ways to mitigate risk. Beyond that, the best CFOs approach ESG as a growth play. McKinsey research shows that more than 80 percent  of C-suite leaders and investment professionals expect ESG programs to contribute more shareholder value in five years than they do today.

Pull together for talent. The best CFOs collaborate closely with their colleagues, particularly the CEO  and chief human resources officer ( CHRO ), to direct capital toward attracting, teaching, and retaining talented employees.

What role should CFOs today play in innovation?

Innovation is usually not an ideas problem. People at all levels of an organization have plenty of ideas—they just lack the resources  to see them to fruition. The challenge is unleashing innovators by giving them the resources they need, including money, people, time, leadership attention, and physical assets.

Innovation can also be a process problem. That means an innovation is only as good as the process set up to accomplish it. CFOs are uniquely positioned to mobilize new projects, because their success depends on their mastery of efficiency and productivity— more so than other C-suite roles . Because the CFO signs off at each stage of a new process, they are uniquely suited to help implement a stage-gate process toward innovations.

Introducing McKinsey Explainers : Direct answers to complex questions

That said, McKinsey’s CFO survey indicates that some employees perceive CFOs as a barrier to innovation. A CFO can change these perceptions by recognizing and rewarding a culture of innovation—not necessarily a culture of success. That means celebrating people who take risks and demonstrate leadership, rather than celebrating only when innovations succeed.

What role do CFOs today play in ESG initiatives?

In the past, digital transformations  were primarily about cost, so naturally, the CFO was ultimately in charge. These days, however, digital transformations extend to ESG goals. McKinsey’s latest CFO survey indicates that CFOs want to play a larger role in shaping ESG programs and better align social and climate issues with the company’s overall direction. And the data shows that when CFOs are engaged in ESG initiatives, they do better: there is a 20- to 30-percentage-point higher alignment  between ESG initiatives and strategic goals when CFOs are actively engaged in ESG topics.

How can CFOs go digital in the smartest possible way?

You’ve heard that digitization is critical. But CFOs shouldn’t just go digital because they’ve heard it’s the right thing to do. Instead, the most efficient CFOs take a sharp, critical look  at the costs and benefits of digital use cases. Instead of making decisions based on what digital tools or systems are available, they should look specifically at what their organization or function will need in the short and long term, and then examine the costs and benefits of adopting digital technologies to serve those needs.

For digitization to work, two key prerequisites should be in place: process standardization for automation and a clear view on how automation benefits will be captured. In many cases, automation also requires putting the proper data architecture in place, which ensures consistency across all regions, functions, and key performance indicators.

Why should CFOs be closely involved in capability building?

Capabilities are the mindsets and behaviors an organization needs to reach and sustain its full potential. Capability building—or developing the skills an organization needs to succeed—are critical to overall performance. To thrive in today’s fast-paced environment, leaders should treat capability building as a strategic weapon  to create competitive distance as well as to materially enhance employee well-being.

From a CFO’s point of view, low employee satisfaction can lead to low productivity, which in turn can lead to low morale. That can quickly lead an organization into a spiral. To build agility in the marketplace, organizations need to retain smart, strong people. To do that, leaders should focus on building satisfaction.

To foster satisfaction, CFOs should serve as talent magnets and chief inspirers. They should use data to identify skills gaps and allocate talent to fill them. Then they should take a holistic mindset, teaching basic financial acumen beyond the finance function to make the entire organization better attuned to what drives performance. Empowering employees to do their jobs more effectively can increase satisfaction—and overall performance.

According to a recent McKinsey survey, 64 percent of senior executives already support employee capability building. But only 40 percent report that senior executives are directly involved in providing opportunities for employees to apply new skills.

Learn more about McKinsey’s Strategy & Corporate Finance Practice , and check out finance-related job opportunities if you’re interested in working at McKinsey.

Articles referenced:

• “ Starting up as a new CFO ,” January 18, 2023, Ankur Agrawal , Michael Birshan , Christian Grube, and Andy West
• “ In conversation: The CFO’s critical role in innovation ,” April 12, 2022, Matt Banholzer
• “ In conversation: The CFO’s role in talent development ,” April 11, 2022, Kevin Carmody  and Meagan Hill
• “ In conversation: The new CFO mandate ,” April 8, 2022, Ankur Agrawal , Christian Grube, and Meagan Hill
• “ Going global: A conversation with Revolut’s CFO Mikko Salovaara ,” February 22, 2022, Vijay D’Silva
• “ Mastering change: The new CFO mandate ,” October 7, 2021, Ankur Agrawal , Christian Grube, Meagan Hill, and Jacob Marcus
• “ The CFO’s role in capability building ,” April 22, 2021, Rawi Abdelal, Kevin Carmody , Meagan Hill, and William J. Pearson
• “ The one task the CFO should not delegate: Integrations ,” July 14, 2020, Ankur Agrawal , Brian Dinneen, Edward Kim, and Robert Uhlaner
• “ How the CFO enables the board’s success—during COVID-19 and beyond ,” May 20, 2022, Vivian Hunt
• “ Reinventing the CFO for the digital age ,” October 25, 2019, Kapil Chandra  and Matt Stone
• “ The evolution of the CFO ,” June 26, 2019, Ankur Agrawal  and Priyanka Prakash

Want to know more about the CMO role?

Essay on Chef Career

Students are often asked to write an essay on Chef Career in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Chef Career

What is a chef.

A chef is a professional cook who leads a kitchen in restaurants or hotels. They create recipes, prepare meals, and make sure the food tastes good. Chefs are also in charge of buying ingredients and managing kitchen staff.

Types of Chefs

There are different kinds of chefs. Some focus on baking bread and cakes, called pastry chefs. Others might specialize in a type of cuisine like Italian or Japanese. Head chefs run the kitchen, while sous chefs are their main helpers.

How to Become a Chef

To become a chef, you can go to culinary school or learn by working in kitchens. Starting as a helper and learning from experienced chefs is common. Practice and learning different cooking methods are important.

Working Hours and Environment

Chefs often work long hours, including early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays. Kitchens can be hot and busy, but for many chefs, creating delicious food makes it worthwhile.

Career Opportunities

250 words essay on chef career.

A chef is a professional cook who leads a kitchen in a restaurant or other places where food is served. They are responsible for creating menus, preparing dishes, and making sure the food tastes good. Chefs also manage the kitchen staff and order food supplies.

There are many types of chefs. Some focus on baking bread and pastries and are called bakers or pastry chefs. Others might be experts in a certain type of cuisine, like Italian or Japanese food. The head chef, often called an executive chef, is in charge of everything in the kitchen.

To become a chef, you can go to a culinary school where you learn how to cook different dishes and run a kitchen. Some chefs start by working in a kitchen as a helper and learn by watching and doing. They slowly move up as they get better at cooking.

Skills Needed

Chefs need to be creative to invent new dishes. They must work quickly, especially when the restaurant is busy. Being organized and able to work with a team are also important. Chefs must know how to use kitchen tools safely and keep the kitchen clean.

The Life of a Chef

Being a chef can be hard because they often work long hours and the kitchen can be hot and busy. But many chefs love their job because they get to make delicious food and see people enjoy what they have cooked. It can be a rewarding career for those who love food and cooking.

500 Words Essay on Chef Career

A chef is a professional cook who leads a kitchen in preparing food. They are in charge of making meals that taste good and look appealing. Chefs work in many places, like restaurants, hotels, and even on cruise ships. To become a chef, a person must learn a lot about cooking and managing a kitchen.

In the cooking world, there are different kinds of chefs. The head chef, also known as the executive chef, runs the kitchen. This person plans the menu, orders food supplies, and makes sure the kitchen follows health rules. Under the head chef, there are sous chefs, who are like assistants. They help with cooking and take over when the head chef is not there. There are also pastry chefs who specialize in making desserts and bread.

To become a chef, you can go to a cooking school or learn while working in a kitchen. In cooking school, students learn about different foods, how to cook them, and how to present them on a plate. Some chefs start as kitchen helpers and learn by watching and helping other chefs. It can take many years of practice to become a skilled chef.

The Daily Life of a Chef

Skills needed for a chef career.

Chefs need to have many skills. They must be good at cooking and know how to mix flavors. They also need to be creative to invent new dishes. Being organized is important because chefs have to plan menus and order food. Chefs must work well with others since kitchens have many people working together. Lastly, they need to handle stress well because kitchens can be busy and fast-paced.

The Rewards of Being a Chef

Being a chef can be very rewarding. Chefs get to make delicious food that makes people happy. They can also become famous if their food is very special. Some chefs even have their own TV shows. Chefs who work hard can become head chefs and run their own kitchens. They can see the results of their hard work every day when customers enjoy their food.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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Essay on Why I Want to Become a Chef

Cooking is something that makes me happy and I love cooking for others. I always wanted to be a chef and I really worked hard. It is a very nice profession where you can learn new things daily. When I serve a bowl of a recipe, it contains my love, hard work, and passion for my profession. I have brought here some essays on the different aspects of being a chef. Hope you will like it and will be helpful for you.

Short and Long Essays on Why I Want to Become a Chef in English

Essay on Why I Want to Become a Chef for students of class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and class 12 in English in 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 500 words. Also find short Why I Want to Become a Chef essay 10 lines.

Why I Want to Become a Chef Essay 10 Lines (100 – 150 Words)

1) I believe in choosing my passion as a profession and hence want to become a chef.

2) I love cooking from my childhood.

3) I’m a foodie and that encourages me to try making new dishes.

4) I want to be a chef because cooking increases my creativity.

5) Experimenting with new recipes and when they turn out delicious, makes me so happy.

6) I enjoy inviting people and serving them food cooked by me.

7) When people praise me for my food, my love for this profession increases.

8) Cooking is an art and by becoming a chef I want to show my talent to the world.

9) Chefs get high salaries and a luxurious working environment.

10) I also have a dream to open a restaurant for which I want to be a good chef.

Essay 1 (250 Words) – Why I Want to Become a Chef?

Introduction

I have seen my mother, grandmother cooking every day for us. They never hesitated to cook anything for me and they loved it when I use to ask another chapati. Actually, it was their love which I use to get through food. I use to love watching them and wanted to learn from a very small age.

Why I want to be a Chef

There are multiple reasons to be a chef for me and the very first one is I just love cooking. I know it is quite common to cook but I just love it and it keeps me happy. One should do what makes them happy and I really like experimenting with new recipes too.

Apart from my love for cooking, another most important thing is I am a glutton. Every day, I just think about food and what the next that I can try. Sometimes my parents just don’t allow me to have street food at that time my cooking abilities help me and I really want to learn more, so that I can cook some five-star hotels recipes at home.

The third reason behind loving this profession is I love serving others. I like to invite people and cooking something they like. It gives me immense pleasure and my love for this profession increases more and more.

I love to eat, to serve as well as to cook, which means I am totally suitable for being a chef. So, I want to be a chef and I believe that I can really do something extraordinary in this field. Always do something you love the most, this will help you to love your profession. When someone loves his profession, life seems more meaningful and interesting to them.

Essay 2 (400 Words) – How to be a Good Chef?

Food is something that gives us nutrition and all of us know that we know how nutritious it is to have bitter gourd. But there are very few of us who like it and most of the children run away when their mother cooks bitter gourd. So, how can a mother convince them to eat, all she can do is cook it in such a way that their child would love to eat it. It is not less than magic to turn the bitter gourd into a delicious recipe. And this chef is a person who has can have a perfect solution for this.

Qualities of a Chef

• A chef should be really passionate because when you choose a profession just for earning, you can soon lose your interest and will feel like a burden. It can directly affect your taste. So, a chef should be passionate about his profession.
• They should be multitasking, actually, a chef not only have to work in the kitchen but should also able to organize a table or a party menu. And they are specified as per their specialty but a pastry chef should also know to cook meat. So, they should be multitasking.
• Somehow a chef should be creative; no one can have the same dish every time, so they should keep on developing new recipes. Apart from making a recipe they also have to present their recipe and it is a belief that presentation speaks more about a recipe. It is quite true when something looks good people wished to try. So, they should be creative.
• They also have to face criticism sometimes, because we are human and it is possible that we could not serve the same taste every time, so they should also be ready for that. Or it is not everyone has the same taste as yours, so they may not like your recipe. So, a chef should be enough polite to handle such a situation.
• Apart from the above qualities, a chef should never be stressed and should have a learning attitude. This will help them everywhere and will also help them to become a successful chef.

Apart from the educational records if someone has the above qualities, then definitely he/she can be a good chef. Perfection, learning quality, creativity, patience, will always help you everywhere in life. So, whatever profession you choose just work hard. Believe me, this will make you not only successful but will also help you to be a good person.

Essay 3 (500 – 600 Words) – Chef is an Interesting Profession

Cooking is something we see every day. Food can be cooked in various ways and this really excites me. I love this profession and use to watch cooking shows when I was just 10. Generally, children of my age use to watch cartoons but my interest was somewhere else. After watching these videos, I use to assist my mother and use it to enjoy new recipes. Really it was so interesting.

A Good Carrier

Nowadays it is one of the most liked professions and the increase in the number of hotels has also increased the demand for good chefs in the market. If you love cooking or serving others, you should definitely try this profession.

• Indian recipes are getting so famous that not only Indian hotels but across the sea countries, companies are hiring authentic chefs to get that authentic taste. This is one of the new strategies for attracting tourists.
• Chefs also get the opportunity to live in the luxurious environment of hotels and meet new costumers. They also get many facilities.
• Apart from cooking they also get a chance to plan a menu for a party, to organize an event, discover new recipes, etc.

Salary and Growth of a Chef

They get a handsome salary depending on the stars of the hotel. They also get increments at frequent intervals. Being a chef is a reputed job and they have a lot of options. There are many hotels across the world and the rapid increase of this industry has also bought a lot of expectations for chefs.

Another benefit of being a chef is you never have to arrange a cook on small occasions at home. You can arrange the party, menu, everything easily.

Different Types of Chefs

People confuse at a point when a chef says he does not know how to cook a certain meal. But very few of us know that they are differentiated into different professions. As there are different types of cooking like baking, steaming, etc. Most of the chefs are specialists in a certain field.

Some of them are good for making dessert whereas some are best at baking. Their different types are Roast chef, pastry chef, meat chef, vegetable chef, etc.

Their Working Environment

They have to work in the kitchen of luxurious hotels and they get different types of facilities. It is an interesting profession. There are very few professions where you are free to work in your own way and the chef is one of those. The only thing they have to take care of is time. They have a time foundation and should practice completing a less time taking recipe with taste.

They have different time schedule depending on the hotel, they don’t have to work 9 to 6. They are scheduled weekly as if they have to work 40 hours a week. Now it depends on them how they manage.

Life is all about learning and carrier is something about perfection. The more experienced you will be the more perfect you will be. Similarly, chefs continuously work and discover new recipes that satisfy our taste buds. They develop their signature recipes and become very famous sometimes. One of the most famous examples is KFC. Colonel Harland Sanders who was a chef and after his 70’s he got viral and eared new fame which he never dreamed. It was his hard work and dedication for his work that he got successful in making something like KFC. So, always love your profession and it will bring everything for you.

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Tim Walz's military record: What to know about potential VP's National Guard service

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday, choosing a progressive yet plain-spoken VP candidate from America’s heartland to help her win over rural, white voters.

“I’m pleased to share that I’ve made my decision: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will join our campaign as my running mate,” Harris said via text to supporters. “Tim is a battle-tested leader who has an incredible track record of getting things done for Minnesota families. I know that he will bring that same principled leadership to our campaign, and to the office of the vice president.”

We look at Walz, a 60-year-old U.S. Army National Guard veteran, and his military career over the years.

More: Tim Walz is Kamala Harris' VP pick: Minnesota governor named running mate: Live updates

How long was Walz in the military?

Walz served in the military for 24 years, enlisting in the Nebraska National Guard at 17 in 1981 and then transferring to the Minnesota National Guard in 1996. He retired in 2005 to begin his successful run for the U.S. House, representing Minnesota as command sergeant major, among the highest ranks for enlisted soldiers. His battalion went on to deploy to Iraq shortly after Walz's retirement.

Walz specialized in heavy artillery and had proficiency ribbons in sharpshooting and hand grenades.

But during the 21 years that Walz spent working with large artillery pieces, he suffered hearing loss and tinnitus in both ears, Minnesota Public Radio reported. He was allowed to continue his service after undergoing surgery, which partially resolved his hearing loss.

Where did Walz serve, and what did he do in the National Guard?

During his service, Walz responded to natural disasters, including floods and tornadoes in Minnesota and Nebraska, and was deployed overseas for months at a time, according to MPR.

In 2003, he was sent to Italy, where he served with the European Security Force to support the war in Afghanistan. He was also stationed in Norway for joint training with other NATO militaries.

Walz told MPR that he reenlisted in the National Guard after the September 11 attacks but never saw active combat in his years in the military.

Stars and Stripes reported in 2020 that Walz credited his Army experience with helping him steer Minnesota through the COVID-19 pandemic as governor.

As governor of Minnesota, Walz is commander in chief of the 13,000-soldier Minnesota National Guard. “I’m certainly proud of my military service, but it’s one piece of me,” he told Minnesota Public Radio in 2018. “It doesn’t define me.”

Reuters and USA TODAY reporter Tom Vanden Brook contributed to this story.

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Comparing and Contrasting Immersion Cooling Technologies

The global adoption of AI is traveling with unfriendly companions; extreme energy consumption and the heat byproduct servers produce while keeping up with expanding demand. Liquid Cooling is one technology seeking to turn down the heat.

Liquid Cooling improves the energy efficiency of data centers, saves valuable space, reduces water usage and dramatically cuts energy costs.

Two prominent cooling techniques are Single Phase Immersion Cooling and Direct-to-Chip Cooling. Here's a detailed bullet-point chart to compare and contrast these two methods:

Single Phase Immersion Cooling

Description :.

• In Single Phase Immersion Cooling, electronic components are fully submerged in a non-conductive dielectric fluid. The fluid absorbs heat from the components, and since it is single-phase, it remains in liquid form throughout the process.

Advantages :

• Uniform Cooling : The entire component is uniformly cooled, as the dielectric fluid directly surrounds and touches the components.
• High Heat Dissipation : The method can handle high heat loads, as the liquid has a high heat capacity and can efficiently transfer heat away from components.
• Reduced Cooling Infrastructure : Since the system does not rely on air circulation, it eliminates the need for fans, air conditioning units, and large cooling infrastructure.
• Noise Reduction : With the removal of fans and other air-moving components, noise levels are significantly reduced.
• Environmental Control : Immersion cooling systems are relatively isolated from environmental factors, such as humidity and dust, which can be beneficial in harsh environments.

Disadvantages :

• Fluid Management : The choice and management of the dielectric fluid are crucial. It can be expensive, and its long-term stability and compatibility with materials must be ensured.
• Maintenance and Accessibility : Maintenance can be challenging, as components need to be removed from the fluid for servicing or replacement.
• Initial Setup Cost : The infrastructure for immersion cooling can be costly, especially for retrofitting existing data centers.

Direct-to-Chip Cooling

• Direct-to-Chip Cooling involves using cold plates or heat sinks attached directly to the chips or processors. Coolant (usually water or a refrigerant) is circulated through these cold plates, removing heat directly from the chip surfaces.
• Efficient Heat Transfer : Direct contact with the chip surfaces allows for efficient heat transfer, effectively cooling high-power components.
• Component Accessibility : Components are more accessible for maintenance and replacement compared to immersion cooling.
• Scalability : The system can be easily scaled and integrated into existing data center infrastructures.
• Lower Fluid Volume : Uses less coolant compared to immersion cooling, which can reduce fluid management complexity.
• Limited Cooling Surface : Only the areas in direct contact with the cold plates receive cooling, which can lead to hot spots if not properly designed.
• Complex Plumbing : The system requires a complex network of tubing and pumps to circulate the coolant, increasing the risk of leaks and mechanical failures.
• Noise : Pumps and fans used in the system can generate noise.
• Dependence on Air Cooling : Often, direct-to-chip cooling systems are used in conjunction with traditional air cooling for non-liquid-cooled components, meaning that some air cooling infrastructure is still necessary.

Comparison and Contrast

• Cooling Efficiency :
• Immersion Cooling provides uniform cooling and is highly effective for high-density computing environments.
• Direct-to-Chip Cooling offers targeted cooling for specific high-power components but may not cool the entire system as uniformly.
• Maintenance :
• Immersion Cooling requires special handling for fluid and can complicate maintenance and upgrades.
• Direct-to-Chip Cooling allows easier access to individual components for maintenance.
• Infrastructure and Cost :
• Immersion Cooling has a higher initial setup cost and may require specialized facilities.
• Direct-to-Chip Cooling can be more easily integrated into existing systems, potentially lowering costs.
• Environmental and Operational Factors :
• Immersion Cooling provides excellent environmental isolation and is quieter.
• Direct-to-Chip Cooling may require additional air cooling infrastructure, leading to higher noise levels and sensitivity to environmental factors.
• Fluid Management :
• Immersion Cooling involves handling large volumes of dielectric fluid, which can be costly and requires careful management.
• Direct-to-Chip Cooling uses smaller volumes of coolant, typically water or refrigerant, which may be easier to manage but introduces the risk of leaks.

Liquid cooling in the data center doesn’t have one distinct winner; the choice between Single Phase Immersion Cooling and Direct-to-Chip Cooling depends on various factors, including the specific requirements of the data center, budget constraints, and the desired level of cooling efficiency and infrastructure complexity. Choosing the right fit for the application and project is critical for short-term results and long-term strategy.

Chris Carreiro

Chris Carreiro is Chief Technology Officer at Park Place Technologies –  a Global Data Center and Networking Optimization Firm, helping 21,000 customers across the globe run more productive, cost-efficient, and sustainable operations. Click here to learn more about our turnkey liquid cooling solutions. 

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Independence Day of India, 15 August 2024: History, Significance, Facts and all you need to know

The history of Indian independence

Saif Hasnat Mujib Mashal and Matthew Mpoke Bigg

The resignation came after a violent day of protests that left almost 100 dead.

Jubilant crowds thronged the streets of Bangladesh’s capital on Monday after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country. The army chief said in a statement to the nation that the army would oversee the formation of an interim government.

Ms. Hasina, 76, had ruled Bangladesh since 2009. She was forced out by weeks of protests that began peacefully and then transformed into deadly clashes with security forces. She was spotted at the airport in the capital, Dhaka, but hours after her resignation, her exact location was not clear.

The student-led protests grew into a broader movement seeking the removal of Ms. Hasina, who was seen as an increasingly authoritarian leader. On Sunday, the deadliest day of the protests, almost 100 people were reported killed in clashes between security forces and demonstrators across Bangladesh.

Ms. Hasina, one of the world’s longest-ruling female leaders, had blamed the violence on her political opponents and called for “resisting anarchists with iron hands.”

Here’s what to know:

Ms. Hasina played a pivotal role in the politics of Bangladesh, a nation of around 170 million people that proclaimed its independence in 1971. She won re-election to a fourth consecutive term in January. She is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s charismatic founding leader, who was killed in a military coup in 1975, when Ms. Hasina was 28. She served as prime minister from 1996 to 2001 and regained power in 2009.

Under her leadership, the economy, helped by investment in the garment export industry, grew quickly, and average income levels at one point surpassed those in neighboring India. Bangladesh also experienced rapid development in education, health, female participation in the labor force and preparedness against climate disasters, including flooding — a national priority in a delta nation .

But her critics said that she tried to turn the country into a one-party state, and the protests that began last month reflected broader discontent against her rule.

Eve Sampson

Crowds swarm the prime minister’s residence after Bangladesh's leader flees.

Exuberant looters made off with furniture, bedding and potted plants as they swarmed the Bangladesh residence of the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, after she resigned her office and fled the country, according to local broadcast footage.

People scaled the residence’s black gates, the videos showed, throwing items against walls inside, bashing portraits and helping themselves to a spread of food in catering dishes.

The footage showed many people with hands and fists raised in celebration and some jumping for joy on the street. Many in the crowd appeared to be filming the event on their own cellphones.

Social media posts and live television footage also showed people taking animals from the residence, including chickens, ducks and rabbits, and some people posing with the animals.

Monsur Ali, a garment worker, said he was among the thousands of people who entered the prime minister’s residence, many of them taking away objects. He grabbed a plate.

“We went there out of anger,” he said. “Nothing is left there.”

Ms. Hasina, 76, was driven out of office by weeks of protests — initially about coveted government jobs and who is entitled to them — that began without conflict but turned deadly when government security forces cracked down. Nearly 300 people are reported to have died in those clashes.

Many in the country also oppose Ms. Hasina’s increasing authoritarianism after 15 years in power.

The country’s army chief confirmed Ms. Hasina’s resignation in a statement to the nation and said an interim government would be formed.

Matthew Mpoke Bigg

Protesters defied the risk of fresh violence to drive Hasina from power.

Hours after almost 100 people were reported killed on Sunday in clashes between security forces and demonstrators across Bangladesh, the protest leaders made a decision that may have been pivotal in the downfall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

They had planned to hold a mass march to Ms. Hasina’s official residence, known as the Ganabhaban, on Tuesday. But responding to Sunday’s violence, they moved up their march by a day to increase the pressure on Ms. Hasina, whose resignation they were now demanding.

Ms. Hasina had ruled for years through fear. But the protests had swelled to such large numbers, persisting even after days of deadly crackdown, that the demonstrators’ fear of Ms. Hasina did not keep them off the streets. Instead of backing down in the face of a new curfew and other restrictions, the protesters planned a march that would take them straight back into the maw of the security forces.

Their determination carried the risk of another blood bath. What followed instead, from the perspective of the protesters, was victory. Ms. Hasina fled in a helicopter, a crowd stormed her residence and the army announced that, after more than 15 years in power, she had resigned.

In the aftermath, tens of thousands of people, many shaking their fists in celebration, marched through the center of the capital, Dhaka, and what had been shaping up to be another day of street battles turned into a street party.

That atmosphere of jubilation may be short-lived, however. Bangladesh’s politics have long been violent, and the animosities between Ms. Hasina’s party and the opposition are unlikely to fade soon. Before Bangladesh settles into its next chapter, revenge for years of harsh suppression under Ms. Hasina will be on the minds of many.

Mujib Mashal

How the prime minister’s crackdown weakened her grip on power.

For those watching from outside, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh presented a compelling story. She was among the world’s longest-serving female heads of government, a secular Muslim in colorful saris who fought Islamist militancy, lifted millions out of poverty and deftly kept both India and China at her side.

But this seeming success came at a heavy cost. Over the past 15 years, Ms. Hasina deeply entrenched her authority and divided the nation. Those who kissed the ring were rewarded with patronage, power and impunity. Dissenters were met with crackdowns, endless legal entanglement and imprisonment.

The sustained protests that convulsed Bangladesh in recent weeks were a backlash against Ms. Hasina’s formula for power: absolute, disconnected and entitled. She cracked down hard, and the resulting challenge to her rule was a crisis largely of her own making, analysts said. The student-led protests started as a peaceful expression of opposition to quotas that reserve sought-after government jobs for specific groups. The violent response by government security forces and vigilantes from Ms. Hasina’s party sent the country to the verge of anarchy.

Ms. Hasina, 76, deployed every force at her service onto the streets, including a feared paramilitary unit whose leaders have in the past faced international sanctions over accusations of torture, extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances.

Saif Hasnat

Monsur Ali, a garment worker, said he was among the thousands of people who entered the prime minister’s residence, many of them taking objects away with them. He grabbed a plate.

People were pouring into the streets across Dhaka late into the afternoon, and the mood was jubilant. Some came with their families, others beat drums and booed Hasina. “It is the victory of the students, the victory of the people. After a long time, we are happy to be out of a dictatorial regime,” said Towfiqur Rahman, who said he was preparing for an entrance exam for a government job. “You can suppress anger for a while, but it erupts — today is proof of that.”

Hours after her resignation, Hasina’s exact whereabouts was not clear. Diplomatic officials said she was possibly on her way to London, transiting through India. The former prime minister has family both in Britain, where her sister and her family live, and the United States, where her son lives.

Hasina’s resignation and departure from Bangladesh after 15 years at the helm does not necessarily mean easy days ahead for a deeply troubled nation. She has long crushed her political opposition and put many of its leaders in prison, so they will be relieved to see her go. But the process of agreeing on an interim government could be bumpy. Interparty animosity and anger is widespread and deep-rooted, even at the local level.

Shayeza Walid

Wild with glee over news of Hasina’s departure, protesters who had stormed her official residence caused pandemonium within. Social media posts and live TV footage showed people removing furniture, bedding, potted plants — and even pets. Demonstrators posed for pictures with the prime minister’s menagerie, including chickens, ducks and rabbits.

Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman said the army would request the formation of an interim government. The army chief said he had consulted with representatives of the country’s political parties and civil society before his statement.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh has resigned, the country’s army chief confirmed in a statement to the nation. He said an interim government would be formed.

Andrés R. Martínez

After nearly a day without access to the internet in Bangladesh, connectivity appears to have been mostly restored, according to NetBlocks , an internet watchdog.

ℹ️ Update: Internet connectivity remains available in #Bangladesh amid reports Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has fled the country, bringing an end to her combined total of 20 years in power; hundreds of killings at student protests were masked by telecoms blackouts in recent weeks https://t.co/0SkwO2q6uR — NetBlocks (@netblocks) August 5, 2024

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been spotted at an airport in Dhaka awaiting departure, diplomatic officials said. The army chief has said a statement was coming soon, fueling speculation that her time in office might be over.

Large numbers of protesters have entered the official residence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, footage on local television channels shows. She appears to be on her way out of the country, with diplomatic sources saying she has been spotted at an airport in Dhaka.

Mujib Mashal and Shayeza Walid

As the unrest intensifies, all eyes are on Bangladesh’s army.

With Bangladesh’s security forces seemingly on a deadly collision course with angry protesters after a crackdown on Sunday, eyes were turning to the country’s powerful military establishment to see how it might respond.

Protesters are demanding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leave office, after 15 years of rule that have turned increasingly authoritarian. If the violence on the street leads to instability and chaos, the military — which has sought to distance itself from the violent police reaction through weeks of unrest — would certainly be a central player.

It has been before. Bangladesh’s army has a history of staging coups and counter coups. But over the past couple decades, the military has taken a less overt role in public affairs, choosing more often to exercise influence from behind the scenes.

Part of that shift has been attributed to Ms. Hasina. Her father, Bangladesh’s first leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, as well as much of her family, was killed in a deadly military coup in 1975. In her time in office, she has stacked its leadership ranks with loyalists, and allowed them access to lucrative government contracts and other businesses.

There are international incentives for the military, as well, which has been a major contributor to United Nations peacekeeping missions that have given it another important side business. Any involvement in a coup would subject the army to criticism — or ostracism — from the United Nations, whose human rights chief responded to the recent killings by calling for restraint and accountability from those with “command responsibility.”

While the army was deployed on the streets during the crackdown to clear the protesters late last month, there have been reports of discomfort in the ranks over it. Dozens of former senior officers also issued a statement calling on the military not “to rescue those who have created this current situation” — a statement seen by some as referring to the police and paramilitaries, and possibly even to Sheikh Hasina herself.

On Sunday, the army’s chief, Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman, gathered senior officers for a meeting that was seen as an attempt to allay concerns. In a statement after the meeting, the army said its chief had reiterated that “the Bangladesh Army will always stand by the people in the interest of the public and in any need of the state.”

If Ms. Hasina’s power becomes untenable, analysts said the army would be unlikely to opt for a takeover. It might, though, try to aid some transition period from the sidelines with a caretaker government — something that happened in 2007.

“There are major international ramifications to a military coup. And more than leaders it is the younger officers who are hesitant to go ahead with anything of the sort,” said M. N. Khan, a retired general of the Bangladeshi Army.

Television channels in Bangladesh are showing live footage of crowds of thousands of people streaming toward the city center. The earlier police blockades stopping them appear to have been lifted.

Restrictions on the internet appear to be easing. The address by the army chief has been pushed back by an hour, with the army asking for “patience” until 3 p.m. local time.

Clashes have been reported in different parts of Dhaka, as thousands of people try to push through security barricades to make it to Shaheed Minar — the gathering point for the protests. At least six people have been killed in the clashes today, according to police officials.

Local television channels in Bangladesh are reporting that the country’s army chief, Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman, will address the nation in the next hour. The contents of his address remain unclear, and information flow remains heavily restricted by the communication blackout.

By noon, protesters who had set off for Dhaka were being blocked from entering the city center. There is a heavy deployment of security forces at all the intersections leading to Shaheed Minar, the gathering point for the protesters. Witnesses said the police had used force to try to disperse the hundreds of protesters who had managed to make it to the spot.

The streets of Dhaka were quiet this morning, with garment factories, the largest driver of Bangladesh’s economy, closed in Mirpur, one of the busiest neighborhoods. The intersections leading to the Shaheed Minar, where protesters are supposed to gather before their declared march on the prime minister’s residence, were blocked by the police, army and paramilitary forces.

The government appeared to heavily limit internet connectivity on Monday, a move that it used last month as protests grew. The latest blackout started on Sunday, according to NetBlocks, an internet watchdog.

Sunday's violence prompted the U.N. human rights chief to make a pointed statement. Volker Türk warned that Monday's march, and the ruling party's call for counter-action from its youth wing, could lead to further loss of life. He singled out those "with superior and command responsibility" in his call for accountability for the “shocking violence.”

The crackdown has brought the country into a particularly dangerous phase, as the protest and anger is no longer concentrated in one area. The clashes have spread across the country, making them difficult to contain. The growing clashes have fueled concerns of a return to past periods of political violence, that have included assassinations, coups and counter-coups.

It is setting up to be a tense day in Bangladesh. This march on the residence of the prime minister was initially planned for Tuesday. But protest leaders have moved it forward a day in anger over the deaths of nearly 100 people on Sunday, the deadliest day since the protests began last month.

Saif Hasnat and Mujib Mashal

Saif Hasnat reported from Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Mujib Mashal from New Delhi

The government’s lethal response brings new risks.

Almost 100 people were reported killed in clashes between security forces and protesters on Sunday across Bangladesh, as the country’s leaders imposed a new curfew and internet restrictions to try to quell a growing antigovernment movement.

The revival of student protests after a deadly government crackdown late last month, as well as a call by the governing party for its own supporters to take to the streets, has plunged the country of over 170 million into a particularly dangerous phase.

The exact number of deaths on Sunday was unclear, but it appeared to be the deadliest day since the protests began in July. At least 13 of the dead were police officers, the country’s Police Headquarters said in a statement.

Over the weekend, the tensions flared into the kind of localized clashes across the country that appeared difficult to contain. With the public already angry at the police forces, seeing them as an overzealous extension of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s entrenched authority, attention focused on Bangladesh’s powerful military.

Ms. Hasina has worked to bring the military to heel. But it has a history of staging coups and was being watched for how it positions itself in the escalating crisis.

Here’s what we know about the deadly crackdown on Sunday .

Shayeza Walid contributed reporting from Dhaka.

Saif Hasnat and Andrés R. Martínez

Saif Hasnat reported from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

What we know about the ouster of the prime minister.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh resigned on Monday as protests that began as peaceful demonstrations by students grew into a broader movement calling for an end to her increasingly authoritarian leadership of the nation.

Ms. Hasina deployed the police and paramilitary forces against the students late last month, a crackdown that set off broader public anger against her. The protests became increasingly violent as more students as well as other citizens joined, clashing with pro-government supporters and the authorities.

More than 300 people have been killed. After a curfew and communication blackout eased, the revival of the protests over the weekend, in addition to a call by Ms. Hasina’s party for its own supporters to take to the streets, plunged Bangladesh into a particularly dangerous phase.

On Monday, the army chief announced the resignation and said an interim government would be formed.

Here’s what to know about the protests.

What were the protests about?

Students at the University of Dhaka, the country’s top institution, started the demonstrations on July 1, and they later spread to other elite universities, and then to the general public. The protests turned violent when some members of student wing of the governing party, the Awami League, began attacking the protesters.

Besides sending the police and paramilitaries into the streets, the government locked down schools and colleges. Officials said they slowed down internet connectivity to stop the spread of rumors and protect citizens, making it harder for protesters to organize and make plans via social media platforms.

The protests were initially about coveted government jobs and who is entitled to them. An old quota system, reinstated recently by the courts, reserves more than half of those jobs for various groups, including the families of those who fought for independence from Pakistan. The students said that the system is unfair and that most of the positions should be filled based on merit.

In the past couple of weeks, however, the movement grew massively and become centered on calling for accountability for Ms. Hasina’s increasingly harsh governance.

How did the protests evolve?

The crackdown in late July, which saw over 200 people killed and 10,000 arrested, temporarily dispersed the protesters. However, the large number of deaths also fueled protesters’ anger.

Over the weekend, the tensions spread away from protests and into clashes across the country that appeared difficult to contain. On Saturday at a rally of tens of thousands, protesters called for the resignation of Ms. Hasina, who has been in power for the past 15 years.

In response, Ms. Hasina’s Awami League party called on its supporters to join counter protests, and she asked the country’s people “to curb anarchists with iron hands.”

The threat emboldened protesters, who called for a march on her residence in central Dhaka on Monday. The government once again imposed a curfew, effectively shutting the country down.

By midafternoon Monday in Dhaka, what appeared to be conditions for another deadly day of protests had eased. Police officers let protesters cross barricades into the center of the city, and the army said they would make a statement.

Shortly after, the army chief announced that Ms. Hasina had left the country.

What will happen to Bangladesh after her ouster?

Ms. Hasina was among the world’s longest-serving female heads of government, a secular Muslim who fought Islamic militancy, helped lift millions out of poverty and deftly kept both India and China at her side.

Over the past 15 years, Ms. Hasina entrenched her authority and divided Bangladesh, a nation of 170 million people. Those who were loyal were rewarded with patronage, power and impunity. Dissenters were met with crackdowns, endless legal entanglement and imprisonment.

The army has asked the president, who holds a ceremonial role, to form a new government. Bangladesh’s army has a history of staging coups and counter coups. But over the past couple decades, the military has taken a less overt role in public affairs, choosing more often to exercise influence from behind the scenes.

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Tim Walz's military record under scrutiny as he joins Kamala Harris on Democratic ticket

By James LaPorta

Updated on: August 9, 2024 / 12:40 AM EDT / CBS News

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz 's military record has come under renewed scrutiny following Vice President Kamala Harris' announcement of Walz as her running mate on the Democratic ticket. 

On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, who is an Iraq War veteran, seized the opportunity to target his opponent's military record, resurfacing claims about his deployments and his retirement from the guard.

Walz served honorably in both the Nebraska and Minnesota Army National Guards, earning medals and deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. But his final days of service have been called into question, centering on his rank and if he retired to avoid a 2005 deployment to Iraq. 

A CBS News review of Walz's military record and statements from the Minnesota Army National Guard show Walz achieved the rank of command sergeant major but was reduced in rank to master sergeant after retirement since he had not completed coursework for the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy. 

On Iraq, records show Walz had retired before his battalion was mobilized and deployed to Iraq. A 2005 statement from his website indicates Walz was initially prepared to deploy to Iraq amid his bid for Congress. CBS News has asked Walz for comment on when he decided to retire. 

A snapshot of Walz in the military

Walz retired from the Minnesota Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery in 2005 after more than 24 years in service, the Minnesota Army National Guard told CBS News. 

Walz first enlisted in the Nebraska Army National Guard in April 1981, serving as an infantry senior sergeant and administrative specialist. In 1996, Walz transferred to the Minnesota Army National Guard, where he first worked as a cannon crewmember and field artillery senior sergeant. 

Minnesota National Guard spokesperson Lt. Col. Kristen Augé told CBS News that Walz "held multiple positions within field artillery such as firing battery chief, operations sergeant, first sergeant, and culminated his career serving as the command sergeant major for the battalion." 

Walz earned several Army commendation and achievement medals during his more than 24 years of service. 

Walz deployed in August 2003 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The Minnesota National Guard told CBS News the battalion supported security missions at various locations in Europe and Turkey. Walz was stationed at Vicenza, Italy, at the time and returned to Minnesota in April 2004. 

Controversy over a 2005 Iraq deployment

On Wednesday, Vance resurfaced claims that Walz retired from the National Guard to avoid deploying to Iraq. 

"When the United States Marine Corps, when the United States of America, asked me to go to Iraq to serve my country I did it. I did what they asked me to do, and I did it honorably and I'm very proud of that service," said Vance. 

He added: "When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, you know what he did? He dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him — a fact that he's been criticized for aggressively by a lot of the people he served with." 

The Harris-Walz campaign responded with a statement saying: "After 24 years of military service, Governor Walz retired in 2005 and ran for Congress, where he [served as the ranking member] of Veterans Affairs and was a tireless advocate for our men and women in uniform — and as Vice President of the United States he will continue to be a relentless champion for our veterans and military families." The statement incorrectly stated Walz chaired the Veterans Affairs committee. 

The campaign also said, "In his 24 years of service, the Governor carried, fired and trained others to use weapons of war innumerable times. Governor Walz would never insult or undermine any American's service to this country -- in fact, he thanks Senator Vance for putting his life on the line for our country. It's the American way."  

The claims raised by Vance first gained prominence when Walz ran for governor of Minnesota in 2018. At the time, retired Army veterans Thomas Behrends and Paul Herr, who both served as command sergeant majors, posted on Facebook a lengthy letter accusing Walz of "embellishing" his military career and abandoning his Army National Guard battalion ahead of a 2005 deployment to Iraq.

In the letter, Behrends and Herr write that in early 2005, Walz's unit — 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery — was slated to deploy to Iraq. At the time, Walz was serving as the unit's command sergeant major. 

Behrends and Herr claimed that from the time the unit was told to prepare for an Iraq deployment and when Walz retired, he told other Army leaders he would be going to Iraq but later resigned his position before the deployment to avoid going to a combat zone. 

Walz has said he left the guard to run for Congress, according to the Star Tribune . In 2006, Walz won his election to Congress against a six-term Republican incumbent. 

Records show Walz officially filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Feb. 10, 2005. 

In March 2005, the National Guard announced a possible partial mobilization of roughly 2,000 troops from the Minnesota National Guard, according to an archived press release from Tim Walz for U.S. Congress.  

"I do not yet know if my artillery unit will be part of this mobilization and I am unable to comment further on the specifics of the deployment," said Walz in the March 2005 statement . 

The statement continued: "As Command Sergeant Major I have a responsibility not only to ready my battalion for Iraq, but also to serve if called on. I am dedicated to serving my country to the best of my ability, whether that is in Washington DC or Iraq," said Walz, who indicated at the time he had no plans to drop out of the race. "I am fortunate to have a strong group of enthusiastic support and a very dedicated and intelligent wife. Both will be a major part of my campaign, whether I am in Minnesota or Iraq." 

The Minnesota Army National Guard told CBS News that Walz retired on May 16, 2005. CBS News has asked Walz to clarify when he submitted his retirement papers. 

The Minnesota National Guard told CBS News that Walz's unit — 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery — received an alert order for mobilization to Iraq on July 14, 2005 – two months after Walz retired, according to Lt. Col. Ryan Rossman, who serves as the Minnesota National Guard's director of operations. The official mobilization order was received on August 14 of the same year, and the unit mobilized in October. 

CBS News reviewed the deployment history for the Minnesota Army National Guard which shows that in the fall of 2005, 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery was mobilized in preparation for a deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The battalion trained at Camp Shelby in Mississippi and deployed to Iraq as a motorized security task force. 

In 2018, Tom Hagen, a military reservist who served in Iraq, wrote a letter to The Winona Daily News claiming Walz was not being candid about his service record and wanted people to know that the future Minnesota governor did not serve in Iraq or Afghanistan. 

Walz responded in the same newspaper and criticized Hagan as dishonoring a fellow veteran, according to MPR News. Walz wrote: "There's a code of honor among those who've served, and normally this type of partisan political attack only comes from one who's never worn a uniform."

Joseph Eustice, a 32-year veteran of the guard who also led Walz's battalion, told CBS Minnesota that while he doesn't agree with Walz's politics, he does believe Walz's record in the military is sound.

"Tim Walz as a soldier, he was a good soldier. I don't think anyone can honestly say that he wasn't," Eustice said. "...He was a good leader in those 24 years that he served."

Walz's rank as a command sergeant major

Official biographies on the Minnesota government website and Vice President Kamala Harris' website  have described Walz as a "retired Command Sergeant Major." However, documents reviewed by CBS News show this is not accurate; while Walz served at one point as a command sergeant major, he retired at a lower rank. 

Army veteran Anthony Anderson, who routinely obtains military records from the Defense Department using the Freedom of Information Act and has worked with CBS News on similar stories, provided Walz's records for review. CBS News has also requested the documents from the National Guard. 

One of the documents shows Walz reverted back to master sergeant from command sergeant major when he retired from the Minnesota National Guard in May 2005. 

Army soldiers promoted to the rank of sergeant major or command sergeant major are required to attend the Sergeants Major Course, or what was formerly known as the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy.  

Lt. Col. Augé, the Minnesota National Guard spokesperson, told CBS News that Walz retired as a master sergeant in 2005 for "benefit purposes" because he did not complete additional coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy.

While Walz can say he served as a command sergeant major in the Minnesota Army National Guard, his official biographies are incorrect in referring to him as a "retired Command Sergeant Major."

On Aug. 8, the campaign website updated its description of his service. It omits his rank upon retirement and now reads, "The son of an Army veteran who served as a command sergeant major, Walz was the ranking member on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, where he passed legislation to help stem veterans' suicides."

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to address an error in the statement from the Harris-Walz campaign.

Caroline Cummings contributed to this report.

• Minnesota National Guard

James LaPorta is a verification producer with CBS News Confirmed. He is a former U.S. Marine infantryman and veteran of the Afghanistan war.

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