The uniform that Roland Alferos arrived wearing at Navy Medicine Readiness Training Unit Everett was significantly altered by the time he departed that day.

Alferos was the sole chief petty officer selected to advance to the rank of senior chief hospital corpsman at Navy Medicine Readiness Training Command Bremerton in a frocking ceremony held with family in front of command leadership, co-workers and friends in the David R. Ray Health Center, May 30, 2023.



“I’ve had great leaders, great mentors and great Sailors. I have been very fortunate and wouldn’t be here without them. All the credit goes to them. It is a privilege to be here,” said newly frocked Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Alferos, with 21 years of naval service which includes assignments on both side of the Pacific from San Diego, California to Okinawa, Japan.

Pinning on Alferos’ new senior chief petty officer insignia – which features a single star above a fouled anchor with USN lettering for the collar device - was his wife, Christine, son Roland Jr., and daughter Athena. After NMRTC Bremerton Command Master Chief Brandon May placed the new khaki combination cap upon Alferos, a round of congratulatory applause filled the clinic’s conference room.

Yet the ceremony wasn’t completed.

In his initial act as Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Roland Alferos, he called forth Hospital Corpsmen 2nd Class James Cooper and Kevin Juico and presented each of them his chief anchors, indicating his faith in each to ‘anchor up,’ by continuing to be responsible, dependable and put service before self for those in need.

The Navy’s senior chief petty officer rank is equivalent to the Marine Corps’ master sergeant and first sergeant, the Air Force’s senior master sergeant and first sergeant and the Army’s master sergeant and first sergeant.

The new rank also brought a new name change for Alferos. He’s no longer referred to as ‘chief.’ He’ll now be known – to officer, enlisted and civil service alike - as ‘senior chief.’