Recruit Training Command Great Lakes Offers Back to Boot Camp Heritage Legacy Training for CPO Selectees

[Tony]

GREAT LAKES (NNS) -- The Navy has announced the 2017 Chief Petty Officer (CPO) Selectee Back to Boot Camp Heritage Legacy Training at the Navy's only boot camp, Recruit Training Command (RTC), from August 28 to September 1, 2017. 

The purpose of the training is to bring CPO Selectees back to boot camp to observe and participate in current training evolutions at RTC. Training will focus on developing leadership skills and helping selectees gain a better understanding of the 21st century Sailor entering the fleet. The training will allow the selectees, many who graduated from boot camp 10 or more years ago, to once again see the "Sailorization" process, and share their knowledge when they return to the Fleet as Chief Petty Officers.

In a Navy message, leadership is requested to nominate CPO selectees for the opportunity to participate in this unique training and be a voice in the training of future Sailors. RTC will host up to 75 male and 75 female selectees, along with 15 Chief mentors to return to boot camp and "experience leadership and heritage training that is central to RTC and the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy's mission, vision and guiding principles." 

Nominees will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis by Recruit Training Command. Reserve and Active Duty selectee nominations are due one-week following the release of the respective selection board results to the NAVADMIN point of contact, YNCS James Jordon at (847) 688-2872 ext. 705/DSN 792 or e-mail at james.jordon@navy.mil. All personnel selected for participation will be notified on August 14, 2017.

CPO Selectees and their sponsors will enjoy the same type of accommodations as recruits and conduct many of the same training evolutions they experienced the first time they went through boot camp such as folding and stowing, physical fitness assessments (PFA), swim qualifications, seamanship, firearms familiarization, damage control and marching. The events will culminate with CPO Selectees participating in the recruit training capstone event, Battle Stations 21, a 12-hour, all-inclusive training scenario on board the USS Trayer (BST 21), a 210-foot-long Arleigh Burke-class destroyer replica, the Navy's largest simulator. Upon completion of Battle Stations 21, CPO Selectees will attend a recruit graduation ceremony.

For more information, please view the NAVADMIN 152/17 here: 

(http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/reference/messages/Documents/NAVADMINS/NAV2017/NAV17152.txt)

RTC is primarily responsible for conducting the initial Navy orientation and training of new recruits. The command is commonly referred to as "boot camp" or "recruit training" and has been in operation at Great Lakes since 1911.

Boot camp is approximately eight weeks, and all enlistees into the United States Navy begin their careers at the command. Training includes physical fitness, seamanship, firearms familiarization, firefighting and shipboard damage control, lessons in Navy heritage and core values, teamwork and discipline. Since the closure of RTCs in Orlando and San Diego in 1994, RTC Great Lakes is, today, the Navy's only basic training location, and is known as "The Quarterdeck of the Navy." Today, about 30,000 to 40,000 recruits graduate annually from RTC and begin their Navy careers.

RTC is overseen by Rear Adm. Stephen C. Evans, commander, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC), at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois. NSTC (NSTC) oversees 98 percent of initial officer and enlisted accessions training for the Navy. NSTC also includes the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) at more than 160 colleges and universities, Officer Training Command at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island, and Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) and Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC) citizenship development programs at more than 600 high schools worldwide.