Naval Station Great Lakes

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An aerial view showing a special recruit graduation "Pass in Review" Ceremony held at Ross Field, Naval Training Center Great Lakes.

Naval Station Great Lakes is the United States Navy's Headquarters Command for training issues, located in North Chicago, Illinois. Important tenant commands include the Recruit Training Center (Basic Training), the Naval Hospital, and the Naval District Headquarters. It is also the home for Marine Air Control Group 48, and its subordinate commands, Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 48 & Marine Communications Squadron 48, all components of the 4th Marine Division. Founded in 1911, it has trained and sent to the fleet more than two million new sailors through its Recruit Training Command and nearly an equal number from its technical schools.

1 Recruit Training Command
2 BRAC 2005
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Recruit Training Command

The Navy's basic training is not called basic training, but Boot Camp, as is the U.S. Marine Corps (due to the Marine Corps' use of much more Naval Jargon). Only the Air Force and Army refer to it as basic training.

The U.S. Navy boot camp take approximately 9 weeks to complete. The precise time it takes to complete naval boot camp depends on a few factors; Chiefly the amount of time it takes a recruit to go through processing which takes up to 14 days. Though it may take up to 14 days to be processed this does not count against a recruits designated 8 weeks. On the first business day after processing is when a recruit's time starts getting "counted". On the "first" day the recruit start keeping track of your time by week number and day number. For example day one would be 1-1, and the beginning of the recruit's second week would be 2-1, and the way up to graduation day which is 8-1.

Most sailors leave boot camp with the rank of E-1 or Seaman Recruit, however, meeting certain criteria it is possible to enter boot camp as an E-3 or Seaman. One way of acquiring the rank of E-2 or Seaman Apprentice before the recruit enters boot camp is by recruiting no fewer than 2 people to successfully sign up for the Navy or 1 Special Forces or Nuclear Engineer while enrolled in the Navy's DEP or Delayed Enlistment Program. Another way to accomplish this is to pass a naval knowledge test that includes the ability to recite Phonetic Alphabet, The 11 General Orders of Sentry (Navy Version) in any order, knowing the Sailors' Creed, and having a good knowledge of Naval rank and recognition. While it's possible to attain the rank of E-3 the recruit cannot combine the aforementioned to obtain that rank. In order to obtain the rank of E-3 the recruit must have no less than 2,000 hours enrolled at a University or Technical College. There are some more rare exceptions to those listed above such an exemplary performance in boot camp, or having training in an ROTC program.

It should be noted, however, that during Boot Camp, each member of a particular company of recruit trainees is referred to as "Recruit." This is so no one coming into the Navy feels any particular superiority over his or her peers. Should one enter Boot Camp as a "guaranteed E-3" or some similar condition that offers the person advanced rank, he or she will be allowed to put the rank insignia on the uniform used in the graduation ceremony and will receive the difference in any back payments at the higher pay rate.

[edit] BRAC 2005

Great Lakes NTC (Naval Training Command) and RTC (Recruit Training Command - the Boot Camp portion) are not in danger of closing. Several hundred million dollars have been invested in building new barracks ("ships"), a $72,000,000 training facility, as well as numerous upgrades around the base. It is the United States Navy's only boot camp facility. Great Lakes Naval Recruit Training Command (RTC) in Illinois is the central processing location for Naval recruits. Approximately 50,000 recruits pass through Great Lakes RTC annually with up to 25,000 recruits onboard the installation at any time.

Geographically, the station separates the affluent North Shore from the more industrial Waukegan/North Chicago area, the latter now announcing numerous redevelopments across their span for strip malls and New Urban residency communities.

The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Great Lakes Naval Training Station historic district in 1986 covering 1,932 acres (7.8 km²), 43 buildings, 14 structures, 6 objects.

[edit] References

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