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One day before USS Cleveland (LCS 31) was commissioned in its namesake city, Command Master Chief Randy Castillo stood before his crew and family to mark a milestone of his own.
Castillo was promoted aboard the ship May 15, 2026, during commissioning week in Cleveland. For Castillo, the moment was not only about advancement. It was about family, sacrifice, gratitude and the responsibility of serving as the ship’s senior enlisted leader.
“This is my family,” Castillo said during the ceremony. “Thank you for the sacrifices you’ve made throughout the years. Thank you for the late nights, missed holidays, missed birthdays and missed tournaments. Your support and encouragement gave me the strength to reach this point.”
Castillo, a Brooklyn, New York, native, said the support of his family helped carry him through nearly two decades of naval service.
“None of this would be possible without you,” Castillo said. “Thank you for standing beside me.”
The ceremony took place as Cleveland’s crew prepared for the ship’s commissioning the following day. The timing placed Castillo’s personal milestone within a larger historic moment for the crew, the city and the Navy.
As command master chief, Castillo serves as the senior enlisted leader aboard Cleveland. He said his role centers on training the crew, supporting morale and advising the commanding officer.
“My role as command master chief is training the crew, morale of the crew and advising the commanding officer,” Castillo said.
Castillo said his path to the Navy began after growing up in New York. He described his background as humble and said joining the Navy helped him build a future.
“When I first put on the uniform, it felt like a new start,” Castillo said. “It felt life-changing, like my life was headed in the right direction.”
After 19 years in the Navy, Castillo has served across multiple duty stations and communities, including shipboard service and recruiting tours. Aboard Cleveland, he now helps lead one of the Navy’s newest crews through the ship’s earliest chapter.
That responsibility is tied closely to the ship’s motto, “Forge a Legacy.”
“To me, Forge a Legacy means leaving something impactful,” Castillo said. “Something that lasts beyond your career and throughout the life of the ship.”
For Castillo, legacy is not only about the future. It is also about what the first crew establishes now. As plankowners, the Sailors aboard Cleveland are responsible for setting the standards, traditions and expectations future crews will inherit.
“Being a plankowner means I was a small part of the history of Cleveland and bringing this ship to life,” Castillo said.
Cleveland’s crew also adopted the phrase “all heart, no quit” as part of its command culture. Castillo said the phrase captures the attitude expected of the crew in both difficult and successful moments.
“All heart, no quit means whether it is a good day or a bad day, you continue to push, give it your all and never quit,” Castillo said.
During the May 16 commissioning ceremony, Castillo said the most memorable moment was when the crew ran aboard the ship and officially brought Cleveland to life.
“The most memorable part was bringing the ship to life, when the crew ran aboard and officially manned the ship,” Castillo said.
The ceremony carried additional meaning because it happened in Cleveland, the city the ship was named to honor. Castillo said the support from the city was felt throughout commissioning week by both Sailors and their families.
“The city welcomed the crew with open arms,” Castillo said. “It meant a lot to our Sailors and their families.”
Standing with his family on May 15 and standing with his crew on May 16, Castillo’s commissioning week reflected both sides of naval service: the families who support Sailors from home and the crew members who carry the mission forward at sea.
“I look forward to continuing to serve with this great crew and giving my very best every single day,” Castillo said.
USS Cleveland was commissioned May 16 in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland is the fourth warship to be named after Ohio’s second-largest city and is the 16th and final Freedom-variant littoral combat ship to be built and commissioned in the U.S. Navy.
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