Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy James Honea set to retire

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy James Honea will retire after nearly four decades of service, the Navy announced Tuesday.

Honea, who became the Navy’s 16th MCPON on Sept. 8, 2022, will retire on Sept. 12, 2025, after 38 years in the Navy. During his tenure as the Navy’s top enlisted sailor, Honea worked alongside sailors and lawmakers to enhance the lives of enlisted personnel, advocating for better education and mental health support, among other subjects, according to a Navy release.

“It has been a profound privilege and honor to serve as your MCPON,” Honea said in the release. “I will carry with me the countless memories of meeting Sailors across the Fleet, hearing about your remarkable achievements, as well as the level of trust you placed in me to advocate for you and your families. During my tenure it has been my mission to remove barriers and improve the quality of life for you and your family.”

Honea collaborated with Congress and the Defense Department to help pass legislation that increased pay for junior enlisted ranks by 15% and contributed to efforts to improve unaccompanied housing, medical care, spouse employment and child care services, the Navy said.

In his role, Honea championed quality-of-life improvements for sailors and was a vocal supporter of upgrades to manning requirements, living conditions and mental health access for sailors assigned to aircraft carriers undergoing maintenance in shipyards, Military Times previously reported.

In April 2022, three junior sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier George Washington died by suicide. A Naval Air Force Atlantic investigation found that overtaxed ship psychologists, a lack of intervention from senior leaders and pervasive taboos about seeking help for mental health led to an improper framework for psychiatric help.

Honea told Navy Times in 2023 of the need for sailors to feel comfortable with their chiefs and enlisted leaders to confide in during tough times. Every sailor, he said, deserved to have a chief petty officer in their life who valued their well-being and was invested in their health and success.

“The original embedded mental health professional in the United States Navy was the chief petty officer,” Honea said.

Honea enlisted in the Navy in 1987, according to his Navy biography, and was promoted to master chief in 2006 after rising through the ranks. In 2009, he became a command master chief and completed tours aboard the destroyer Gridley and the transport dock New Orleans.

He served as the command master chief of U.S. Naval Forces Korea, among other assignments. As a fleet master chief, he completed tours at U.S. Pacific Fleet and at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command as the command senior enlisted leader, according to his Navy bio.

Honea received the Defense Superior Service Medal, two Legion of Merit Medals, five Meritorious Service Medals, three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals and four Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.