Holden Senior Achieves Chief Petty Officer Rank
Rank is Highest for U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps
BATON ROUGE, La. – Holden High School Senior Brendan Anderson
has been awarded the highest rank of Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, placing him among the top 3 percent of all the corps members.
He was awarded the new rank on Aug. 10, during a military ceremony at Jefferson Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. His Commanding Officer Lt. Adrian Fortier, Executive Officer Lt. Allen Bevens and Operations Officer ENS John West led the pinning ceremony.
Anderson’s parents, Louisiana State Fire Marshal Captain Chris Anderson and Andrea Anderson of Holden, pinned their son with the newest insignias.
“We are so proud of Brendan’s accomplishment. Achieving the highest rank available in this organization is quite a testimony to his discipline, dedication and passion for doing the job,” Holden Principal Kris Rountree said.
The U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps is available to young people ages 13 through the completion of high school. Each new Sea Cadet must attend NSCC recruit training, which serves to introduce each "recruit" to the standards and routine involved in the life of a Sea Cadet.
Military drills, customs and courtesies, physical fitness training, and other courses related to the sea-going services, are part of the demanding schedule of recruit training.
After graduating from NSCC recruit training, Sea Cadets have opportunities to attend Advanced Training in many different locations and in many different fields, depending on their personal interests. Cadets must attend at least one Advanced Training each year in order to advance in rank. These training opportunities usually occur during the summer and winter breaks, but also may occur anytime throughout the year.
Advanced Training is held primarily at Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine installations, and can range anywhere from five days up to three weeks in length. The training courses are coordinated and staffed by NSCC Officers and Instructors, and may have outside instructors from all branches of the Armed Forces, who are mainly made up of Active and Reserve Navy, Marine, and
Coast Guard personnel.
Holden High School Senior Brendan Anderson is awarded the rank of Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, as his parents Andrea and Chris Anderson look on as Command Master Chief Roy W. LaPointe of the U.S. Coast Guard places a hat on his head during a special military ceremony on Aug. 10.
Officers with the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy, along with U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, conducted a special military ceremony on Aug. 10 to pin Holden High School Senior Brendan Anderson with the rank of Chief Petty Officer, which is the corps highest rank. Speaking at the podium is Executive Officer Lt. Allen Bevens