WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Steven S. Giordano met with his counterparts from three Asian-Pacific nations Feb. 17 exchanging ideas and thoughts about their various Navy cultures.

The MCPON equivalents from Japan, Australia and New Zealand visited Giordano during their visit to Washington where they collectively asked questions about the way the United States Navy grows leadership at the non-commissioned officer level.

"It's so important to have that core leadership at the critical middle level," Giordano said. "It's where the hardest jobs take place and the real molding of the next generation of leaders begins."

Giordano also discussed retention, economic effects on maintaining armed forces and common challenges between the services.

"We all have the same challenge," Giordano said. "That is to recruit the best possible people, train them and then convince them to stay on board so we get to take advantage of the training we've given them."

The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy is the senior enlisted person in the Navy and serves as an advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations and to the Chief of Naval Personnel in matters dealing with enlisted personnel and their families. He is also an official representative of the enlisted force to other navies around the world.