This is the place where the chief petty officers call home while on board ship. It is their private little world inside. Every person onboard that ship, including all officers, even the captain, must request permission to enter. This is a tradition that has been carried on over the years. The term is a carry over for the term old goat, since the CPO’s are normally older senior members of the Navy and the crew.

During the days of sail ships would carry animals to provide fresh eggs, milk, and even meat. Other animals served as mascots. While in ports sailors would enjoy all sorts of entertainment and this eventually came to the annual Army/Navy football game. At one game the mascot from the USS New York was present at the game, El Cid, Big Chief. The midshipmen won they game by a wide margin that day and El Cid was transferred to shore duty at the Naval Academy.

One story that had gone around on the Scott is that the Goat Locker really had been a goat locker at one time. The ship was originally ordered by Iran during the late 1970’s. At the time the US was still friendly to Iran and the ships were being built for the Imperial Iranian Navy. One requirement was to need to have an area for live animals, namely goats and chickens. Since the regular chiefs berthing compartment on the ships was next to the galley it was converted into an area to keep their animals. So, if this story has any truth to it, the goat locker on the Scott really was.

Most of the time we, as junior enlisted people, would call this area, the Chief’s Mess. Of course the Chief’s called it what ever they wanted and most of the officers called it the Goat Locker. On the main door to the Goat locker is a brass sign that says, “Knock before entering.” Proper way to enter the locker is to knock loudly on the door. Wait for a single word reply, “Enter.” Open the door and step in, close the door, and then announce who you are and why you are there, but not too loudly, a chief might be napping. Most of the time there will be one or more chief sitting at the large table in the locker.

One quick sea story about the Goat Locker for you. While on the Scott I had to spend time in the galley, just like everyone else at their first sea command. Another guy from engineering that came on when I did was working in the Chief’s Mess. He wanted to get off early one Friday so he was busting his butt all week doing extra things to suck up. Friday came and he was in rare form sucking up like crazy. Just before he was going to ask if he could take off early he took the time to clean all of the Chief’s coffee cups. For those who know about a chief’s coffee cup, this is BAD! My friend had to work all weekend! That is no BS either!

Never, ever, ever, touch a chief’s coffee cup, even if they tell you to. It is one piece of property that is special to them and they took a long time to get them seasoned just right with Navy coffee. So beware the goat locker, it is fraught with peril.