Senior Enlisted Leader

NDCS Michael D. Bailey
Senior Enlisted Leader

Senior Chief Michael Bailey is a native of Baytown, Texas, and currently serving as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader and Master Diver for Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory. In December 2007, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy through the Delayed Entry Program. He then attended Basic Engineering Common Core "A" School, where he graduated top of his class in 2009. Following, he received orders to the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City, Florida, to attend ND "A" School, where he graduated as a Second Class Diver.
 
After completing Second Class Dive School in July 2009, he began his first assignment at Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit One in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He deployed to the Seventh Fleet aboard the USNS Safeguard, where he participated in numerous multinational exercises as a Salvor. Notably, he completed the first hydrographic survey of 400 nautical square miles in the Republic of Palau, locating 97 possible WWII aircraft wreckage sites, three deep-water wrecks, and a sunken ship not previously identified off the shore. While in Hawaii, Bailey qualified as a Diving Salvage Warfare Specialist, Expeditionary Warfare Specialist, and Surface Warfare Specialist.
 
In June 2012, Bailey reported to Explosive Ordinance Disposal Mobile Unit Eight in Rota, Spain. He led a team of four Navy Divers and a Diving Medical Technician through 20 countries over the course of 232 days in support of numerous exercises and operations. His chamber team supported multiple nations’ divers and strengthened U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command’s partnership with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in direct support of U.S. 6th Fleet strategic objectives. During this tour, he received national certification as an Emergency Medical Technician. His leadership during this period was recognized, and in July 2015, he received a meritorious advancement to Petty Officer First Class. In March 2015, he was awarded orders to attend First Class Dive School.
 
Upon graduation from First Class Dive School in February 2016, Bailey volunteered for a third overseas sea duty on the USS Frank Cable (AS-40). He served as the Leading Petty Officer of 18 Second Class Divers and the Production Officer throughout an Intermediate Maintenance Activity merger. Bailey coordinated 63 emergent submarine maintenance periods, supervised 626 incident-free hours of in-water repairs.
 
In March 2018, Bailey received orders to become an instructor at Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training and Evaluation Unit ONE. As the N3 Diving and Salvage Divisional Leading Petty Officer and Master Training Specialist Coordinator, he led 12 instructors and 176 Sailors and Officers through 516 days of high-risk training. During this tour, Bailey re-shaped the Navy Expeditionary Command Force Diving and Salvage Basic Phase Training. In addition, he graduated from Norwich University with a B.S. Strategic Studies and Defense Analysis. His extensive salvage diver curriculum work, and his Navy Diver community involvement, resulted in selection as the EOD Group One Sailor of the Year. The following year, he was selected for Chief Petty Officer.
 
Bailey graduated from Master Diver Candidate School in February 2022, and received orders for immediate transfer to a critically gapped billet as the Command Master Diver onboard the USS Emory S. Land (AS-39). Bailey coordinated the establishment of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard Detachment Guam Dive Locker, and oversaw the completion of underwater repairs throughout 30 Continuous Maintenance Availabilities and 63 Voyage Repairs on Las Angas and Virginia Class Submarines throughout the FIFTH and SEVENTH Fleet area of operation.
 
His Military decorations include Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (3 awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals (9 awards), National Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medals (3 awards), and various other personal, unit, and service awards. Bailey resides in Groton, Connecticut and supported by his wife Danielle and son Kayden. Bailey is currently studying at the Naval Post Graduate School to earn his master’s degree in system engineering.