Great Lakes, Illinois. (December 31, 2023): In this photo by MC2 Stuart Posada, Navy recruits practice handling and firing procedures during weapons familiarization training at the USS Missouri Small Arms Marksmanship Trainer at Recruit Training Command (RTC). The RTC is the Navy’s only “boot camp” that trains more than 40,000 recruits a year to defend America at sea.

What is Basic like for America’s Sailors?

It begins with “Sailorization,” the process a recruit goes through to adjust to the war-fighting culture of the Navy. Enlistees are taught self-discipline and to live by the core values of honor, courage, and commitment to America’s defense.

The first week involves in-processing including physical and psychological assessments of a recruit’s fitness to serve. The real training begins in weeks two and three, which are considered the most difficult for most trainees as they adjust to Navy life.

Weeks four through six are the “hands on” portion of recruit training that includes the essentials of knot tying and line handling, firefighting, firearms training, and first aid. Week seven is an extensive evaluation of a recruit’s academic and physical skills. The final week is called “Battle Stations” where Sailors demonstrate their knowledge and skills as they would aboard ship.

Navy life is not for everyone, however, as this intense program has an attrition rate up to 15 percent per class. After boot camp, recruits attend their “A” School, or advanced individual training, in the field they have selected. Once they have graduated,  these Sailors may be assigned to land or sea duty at naval installations all over the world.