by Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
(NEWPORT,
R.I) Command Master Chief Delbert
Terrell, Jr., a 1998 Kingfisher High School graduate and Kingfisher, Oklahoma
native relieved Command Master Chief Richard G. Curtis, Jr., as Director of The
Senior Enlisted Academy (SEA) during a charge of ceremony in Newport, Rhode
Island on Nov. 17.
Terrell
reflected on his role as the SEA Director responsible for shaping today’s
senior enlisted leaders for the challenges of tomorrow.
“To be selected as the Director of the U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy
is absolutely humbling, and I'm excited to continue the great legacy of the
personnel that came before me,” said Terrell. “I will not take this assignment
for granted, as we know in order to be successful it is truly a team effort,
and I look forward to working with these amazing group of leaders.”
The
SEA Director prepares senior enlisted leaders with a solid understanding of national security strategy,
joint force operations, and leadership skills with a constant focus on ethics,
flexibility and mission accomplishment in a global environment.
The mission of the SEA is to further develop senior
enlisted leaders to give sound decision-support in command, staff, management
and leadership positions in naval, joint and multinational environments.
According to Navy
officials, the academy has been successful in preparing senior enlisted leaders
for positions of greater responsibilities since 1981. It is the Navy's
only professional military education (PME) institute for the senior enlisted
force. With the capacity to support more than 1,300 students annually, active
and reserve personnel attend the SEA from the U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army, Army
National Guard, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps, as well as international service
partners.
SEA is the Navy’s premier academic institution in
educating today’s Senior Enlisted Leaders for tomorrow's 21st century
global challenges.
“The Senior Enlisted Academy is an extraordinary institution that
prepares our senior enlisted personnel for demanding assignments leading our
enlisted cadre while providing unmatched expertise and mentorship to the other
command leadership,” said Rear Adm. Jeffrey A. Harley, commanding officer of the Board of
Inspection and Survey (INSURV). “Master Chief Terrell
is a gifted and proven leader who will take the Senior Enlisted Academy to even
greater heights."
The change of charge ceremony is rich in naval
tradition. The turnover of a Navy command is the formal passing of
responsibility, authority and accountability of from one director to another.
Terrell’s
previous duty assignments include White House Communications Agency, Naval
Energy and Environment Support Activity, Mobile Utilities Support Equipment,
three construction battalions, and Deputy Director at SEA as command master
chief.
Terrell
has been deployed to various locations throughout the world. He has served as
the command master chief for Naval Construction Training Center in Djibouti,
Africa and a construction battalion for Naval Station Rota and Naval Activities
Spain. Additionally, he was deployed to Iraq in March 2003 and again in 2004
through 2005 at the Naval Facilities Expeditionary Logistics Center.
In
2000, Terrell earned a bachelor’s of science degree in management from National
Louis University. He also earned a master of arts degree in liberal studies –
administrative leadership in 2010 from the University of Oklahoma.
His mother, Delora,
spouse, Kelly, both daughters, Jordan and Hayden, and sister, Ladonna Terrell,
all reside in Kingfisher, Oklahoma.
**See link below for additional photos**
https://www.flickr.com/photos/navyoutreach/38543827241/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/navyoutreach/37656433445/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/navyoutreach/24671634168/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/navyoutreach/38487813576/in/dateposted-public/