The virtual graduation ceremony for Training Group 39 at Recruit Training Command. More than 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navy’s only boot camp. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Camilo Fernan)
Transcript
(suspenseful music) (upbeat music)
Hello everyone, I’m Captain Erik Thors, commanding Officer of Recruit Training Command. I welcome you to the virtual edition of our recruit graduation ceremony. Even though you can’t be here in person it is important to be able to share this experience with you. The families and friends watching this significant milestone online. Next time you see your sailor I’m sure they will have many stories to tell you about their bootcamp experience. But first allow me the opportunity to tell you our side of the story.
Hurry up lets go get on the bus. Lets go. (bus stopping)
Out of the bus, into the building.
[Captian Thors] : Recruit training command is the quarter deck of the United States Navy.
Good order and discipline will be maintained 24/7, proper Military posture will be maintaineed 24/7.
[Captian Thors] : Ever enlisted sailor begins their naval career here, and our mission is fairly simple. Its to transform civilians into smartly disciplined, physically fit Sailors ready for following training and service to the Fleet. And while doing so to instill on them the highest values of honor, courage, and commitment.
You are no longer a civilian. Whatever you were before is now over. You are about to begin a journey that’s gonna make you apart of the greatest Naval force the world has ever known. This training will not be easy. It wasn’t meant to be. (heavy breathing)
[Captian Thors] : Our training environment is controlled chaos.
Are you guys not disciplined tonight? (yelling)
[Captian Thors] : And while it may not seem like that to the recruits, each and every event has meaning and purpose.
You’re gonna sound off at the top of your lungs. Do you understand?
Yes petty officer!
[Captian Thors] : We are designed to develop skillsets that sailors can carry throughout their entire career. We push hard on physical fitness. Watching standing.
You’re not looking man, look! Try it, read it and look.
All right petty officer.
[Captian Thors] : And creating a warrior mindset.
Now with the metro scan we’re gonna be focused on your mind.
[Captian Thors] : A true body, mind, and soul approach.
When I say gas, gas, gas you’ll have 15, one five seconds to put on your faces, tighten your straps, check for a seal, and put your hands in your pockets.
[Captian Thors] : All of our recruits receive training that will help them the second they get to the fleet. (Sailors yelling)
Arms up, this side put your visors down all the way.
[Captian Thors] : Firefighting, damage control, waepons, and seamanship. Our recruits get hands on training and application with them all. (sailors yelling) (upbeat music)
Put my hands in front of your face you stop shooting, you go it? All right put your ears on. Standby. (gun fire) all right put our ears on. (gun fires) (gun fire)
Again one breath, face comes up, one breath, back down. (water splashing)
Surface there’s a wave.
Five more right here.
So I need everything you’ve got because once we start this evolution again I’m going to expect you to adapt, overcome, and be.
Petty Officer (bell rings)
Work together as a team, execute the mission, and next time I see you you’ll be sailors. Hooyah Navy. Hooyah!
[Captian Thors] : Everything they learn is tested in a battle station. (sailor singisng) (horn buzzes)
Identify yourself.
Chief Division 001. Manned and ready for battle stations, chief!
Very well.
We will not relax anything that is on you do you understand?
[Captian Thors] : A 24 hour event where the recruit ceases to exist. And a sailor is forged. (water gushing) (sailor yells)
Breathe
[Captian Thors] : Navy bootcamp really is a machine with swarm of moving parts all working towards the same goal: making a sailor.
I will proudly serve my country’s Navy combat team with honor, courage, and commitment. I am committed to excellence and the fair treatment of all.
The sailors forged here are the bedrock of our naval forces. They give our Navy it’s combat edge and enable us to help keep this nation secure. Each of them you see here today has earned the right to wear the uniform recognized throughout the world as a symbol of freedom. Ladies and gentleman I present to you the newest and sharpest sailors in the United States Navy. (drum beat)
[Announcer] Division two three seven commanded by Petty Officer First Class Damarcus Artee, Petty Officer Michael Shepard, and the recruit Chief Petty Officer Seaman Michael Sweetman from Pensacola Florida. (drum beats) Division two three eight commanded by Chief Petty Officer Ahmad Zepper, Petty Officer First Class Mikyung Hong, and the recruit Chief Petty Officer Seaman Joshua Santiago from New Haven Connecticut. (drum beats) Division two three nine commanded by Chief Petty Officer Casey Gore, Petty Officer First Class Jaime Paredes, and Petty Officer First Class Justin Chung, and the recruit Chief Petty Officer Seaman Terrance Kennedy from Philadelphia Pennsylvania. (drum beats) Division two four zero commanded by Petty Officer First Class Thomas Vangansky, Petty Officer First Class Mindy Walker, and the recruit Chief Petty Officer Seaman Chantel Applebegun from Mililani Hawaii. (drum beats) Division two four five commanded by Chief Petty Officer James Kona, Petty Officer First Class Shawn Loya, Petty Officer Second Class Kiren Connell, and the recruit Chief Petty Officer Seaman Rafael Moreno-Solano from Coventry Rhode Island. (drum beats) Division two five nine commanded by Chief Petty Officer Andrew Baldwin, Petty Officer First Class Edward Andrews, and the recruit Chief Petty Officer Seaman Bradley Miller from Fresno California. (drum beat) Division two six zero commanded by Petty Officer First Class Justin Taylor, Petty Officer First Class Mamarcus Seaberry, Petty Officer First Class Dex Hicks, and the recruit Chief Petty Officer Seaman Tyrese Horty from Queen Creek Arizona. (drum beat) Division two six one commanded by Chief Petty Officer Lawrence Jaybures, Petty Officer First Class Jonathan Koziak, and the recruit Chief Petty Officer Seaman Peregrine Zantuferson from Forestville California. (drum beat) Division two six two commanded by Chief Petty Officer Wall Amag, Petty Officer First Class Juan Rodriguez, Petty Officer Second Class Morgan Rodgers, and the recruit Chief Petty Officer Seaman Corley Milan from St Louis Missouri. (drum beat) Division two six three commanded by Chief Petty Officer Jordan Lapport, Petty Officer Second Class Donte Cook, and the recruit Chief Petty Officer Seaman Sebastian Frazier from Springdale Arkansas. (drum beat) Division two six four commanded by Chief Petty Officer Sarah Woodworth, Petty Officer First Class Anna Ohbang, and the recruit Chief Petty Officer Seaman Ileani Gonzalez from Rochester New York. (drum beats) Division two six five commanded by Chief Petty Officer Ray Weimer, Petty Officer First Class Ryan Zano, and the recruit Chief Petty Officer Seaman Ethan Hall from Montrose Colorado. (drum beat) Division two six six commanded by Chief Petty Officer Robert, Petty Officer First Class Amanda Hansen, and the recruit Chief Petty Officer Seaman Genisis Candea from Wichita Falls Texas. (drum beat) This concludes today’s ceremony. Thank you very much for coming. Well good day recruit command staff, family, and friends. And what a fine Navy day it is. And though I’d much rather be with you there in person to celebrate this momentus occasion even in the virtual construct is a distinct honor and privilege to be able to address you today as we welcome our newest sailors to the fleet. First I would like to congratulate our graduates. Our newest shipmates. It has been a long and arduous journey, full of challenges some of which you probably didn’t think you would meet, but you’ve already overcome so much here at bootcamp individually and collectively as Sailors and shipmates. Our fleet is going to expect much from you as you go forward, but I know the staff here at RTC has prepared you to not only meet those expectations but exceed them. They’ve instilled in you warrior toughness. Professional competency and character rooted in the Navy’s core values of honor, courage, and commitment. Example of this toughness and resiliency was on display in July when Sailors from the USS Bonhomme Richard some of whom only been in the Navy a few weeks courageously fought that fire aboard their ship. Sailors from nearby ships like the USS Decatur stepped up to back them up. And when our Chief Of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday went out to San Diego to visit those involved, he spoke with thorough Firefighters who said our Sailors displayed competency, fearlessness, resiliency, and confidence. This fire is just one of many examples of the challenges yet to come. And what the Navy and the Nation rightfully demands us to be able to meet. Those traits are essential and inextricably linked to the training that starts right here at bootcamp. I know that you will continue to grow and be ready to meet any challenge that awaits you in your Naval career. Now to the family and friends I want to express my sincere thank you and gratitude for the love and support that got your Sailor to where we are today. You will continue to play a vital role in their future success. Your Sailors journey will not always be easy, but with your love and support they can overcome anything. Please keep them and their shipmate in your thoughts and prayers. Lastly I want our new Sailors to know this, we all come from different backgrounds, from different walks of life. But today you are part of the Navy family. My family, your family, our family. It is a family that takes care of each other and treats everyone with dignity and respect. We all have a common mission of supporting and defending The Constitution of the United States and the country whose course it directs. I am honored to call you shipmate. Congratulations Sailors I look forward to seeing you in the fleet. (upbeat brass music) (music continues)
Throughout your time here you have been taught toughness. You have been taught to run to the fire. You have been taught to deal with acute stress. How to process it and still move forward. You’ve been taught all of that stuff. You’ve been taught to overcome challenge and you have overcome challenges. The fact that you are sitting here today says you’ve done that. Cause here what I’m gonna tell ya. You’re going to be tested its coming. One of you is going to be sitting in your gym working out and your going to hear a loud crash off the back of your ship and when you get up top side a helicopter with 25 people has hit the back of your ship and fell in the water and now you have a mass casualty and you start rescuing people. One of yous gonna be eating from the mess decks and your going to hear the flight deck fire alarm go off and your going to run to the flight deck to suit up and there’s a Harrier jet with two 500 pound bombs on board, a pilot in the cockpit and the planes on fire and you got to co combat the fire. One of you is going to be sitting in combat off the coast of Africa and you’re going to hear missiles inbound this is not a drill and you are going to have to react. Everything I just said is happened to our Navy in the last four years. Its sailors like you that responded and took action. Your test is coming. Are you ready?
Yes (inaduible)
Weak, Weak! Are you ready?
Yes! I am proud of each and everyone of you. You are absolutely the generation of Sailors I wanna go to war with. Be proud of what you have done, earn it everyday. I’m proud to call you shipmate. I look forward to seeing you in the fleet. I look forward to seeing you at graduation tomorrow Congratulations to your parents. Hooyha.
HOOYAH!