The V-12 Navy College Training Program was initiated in 1943 to meet both the immediate and long-range needs for commissioned officers to man ships, fly planes and command troops called to duty in World War II.
At the centennial of the rate of chief petty officer in 1993, a special bell was cast to mark this milestone anniversary. On display in the Naval Heritage Center, the privilege of ringing this bell belongs to all chief petty officers, past and present.
As visitors to the Navy Memorial approach the entrance to the Naval Heritage Center they will notice, on the nearest of six flagpoles, a bronze plaque marking the site of the Chief Petty Officer Centennial Time Capsule. A significant component of the Navy Memorial, this time capsule honors the Navy's senior enlisted leadership from 1893 to the present.