Welcome to Recruit Training Command - Great Lakes. The United States Navy’s only boot camp to 43,000 recruits annually. I’m Chief Hospital Corpsman Arlene Maier, and I’m about to take you behind the scenes of sailors begin their Naval careers. You wanted to know what goes on, and I’m about to show you.
Here we are at the barber shop in the golden 13. It is right here where male recruits will receive four haircuts throughout their boot camp training. Females will receive 2 to 3 haircuts, depending on how fast their hair grows.
Here we are at the night of arrival diddy bag issue. Recruits receive basic clothing items, as well as brand name hygiene items for their use throughout their training. Recruits will box up all of their items that they reported here with, and al of those will be mailed back to home.
Recruits receive at two to three-minute phone call to a loved one, in which they let them know they arrived safely, that they will be sending home a box with personal items, and also that they will be making another phone call home in about three to four weeks.
Here we are at the USS Arizona. This is one of 11 barracks here on board Recruit Training Command. All of our barracks are named after ships. And as you can see behind me, we have actual artifacts from the USS Arizona. Now here in the recruit barracks, this is where recruits eat, sleep, as well as get classroom instruction. Let’s take a look.
Right here we’re in one of the ship’s compartments. Over here in this bunk, or rack as we like to call it, recruits keep all of their clothing and personal items required throughout boot camp. This is a very small, confined space. The purpose of this is to get recruits used to having a small space onboard a ship. Let’s go.
As a mother of two teenage boys, one of the things I might be asking myself if they were to come to Navy boot camp is what kind of nutrition are they being provided. Right here we’re in the galley where recruits eat. They’re eating three meals a day; breakfast, lunch and dinner.
So now we’re here to Freedom Hall. This 182,000 square feet, state-of-the-art facility is where recruits are brought for strength and conditioning exercises as well as physical fitness training. On the sixth week of training, recruits are required to pass a physical fitness assessment. The passing of this final physical fitness assessment is required for graduation from boot camp.
Obviously swimming is a skill required in the Navy. Here at the USS Indianapolis, under strict supervision, recruits acquire more skills and training to ensure their readiness for the fleet.
Welcome to the USS Missouri Small Arms Marksmanship Trainer, otherwise known S.A.M.T. Recruits are given the opportunity to familiarize themselves will a 9mm pistol and the 12-gauge shotgun. This preparation or simulation is going to prepare them for their live fire training which is conducted later in bootcamp.
Here we are at the Firefighting Training Division. Right here is where recruits learn to work together as a team to combat all different classes of fires that they may encounter out at sea.
Welcome to the USS Trayer, otherwise known as Battle Stations 21. This massive 210-foot Raleigh Burke-class destroyer simulator was designed by award winning Hollywood set designers. It simulates actual sights, smells and sounds that would be experienced onboard an actual naval vessel at sea. Here at Battle Stations 21, recruits are put through the final test before their transition is made from recruit to sailor.
You’ve seen where recruits eat, sleep and where they train. Now, it’s time for me to get back to work.