The virtual graduation ceremony for Training Group 52 at Recruit Training Command, the Navy’s only bootcamp. The reviewing officer was Rear Adm. Jamie Sands, commander, Naval Education Training Command. More than 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navy’s only boot camp.
Transcript
(intense marching music)
[Man] Eyes front! (intense marching music continues)
[Woman] Taps, taps, get into your ride.
[Sailors] Tap, taps get into your ride.
Hello, 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 online and witnessing this significant milestone. Next time you talked to your sailor, I’m sure they’ll have many stories to tell you about their bootcamp experience, but first allow me the opportunity to show you our side of the story.
Hurry up, let’s go. Get on the bus, let’s go. (intense music) Out of the bus, in the building!
[Thors] Recruit Training Command is the quarterdeck of the United States Navy.
[Man] Good order and discipline will be maintained 24/7. Proper military posture will be maintained 24/7.
[Thors] Every enlisted sailor begins their Naval career here. And our mission is fairly simple. It’s to transform civilians into smartly disciplined, physically fit sailors, ready for follow on training and service to the fleet and while doing so, to instill in them the highest values of honor, courage, and committment.
You are no longer a civilian, whatever you were before is now over. You are about to begin a journey that’s going to make you a part of the greatest naval force the world has ever known. This training will not be easy. It wasn’t meant to be. (sailor breathing)
[Thors] Our training environment is controlled chaos.
You guys lack discipline today!
Do it!
[Thors] And while it may not seem like that to the recruits, each and every event has meaning and purpose.
You’re going to sound off the top of your lungs. Do you understand?
[Sailors] Yes we do, sir!
[Thors] We are designed to develop skill sets that sailors can carry throughout their entire career. We push hard on physical fitness.
You better get somewhere, you better not stop.
[Thors] Watch standing.
You’re not looking man, look! Try, read it, look!
Aye, Petty Officer.
[Thors] And creating a warrior mindset.
Now with the mental scan, you’re gonna be focused on your mind.
[Thors] A true body, mind, and soul approach.
When I say, “Gas, gas, gas,” you’ll have 15, one five seconds, to mount to your face and tighten your straps, check for a seal and put your hands in your pockets.
[Thors] All of our recruits receive training that will help them the second they get to the fleet.
Visors up! Listen, put your visors down all the way!
[Thors] Firefighting, damage control, weapons, and seamanship, our crews get hands-on training and application with them all. (dramatic music)
If I put my hands in front of your face, you stop shooting, you got it?
Stand by.
Handed, too weak-handed. (guns fire)
Again, one breath face it at the top. (dramatic music continues)
[Man] Go around that, go around that.
[Man] Resurface, pick up the weight. You.
[Man] The bottom one, right here.
So I need everything you got because once we start this evolution again I’m going to expect you to adapt, overcome, and beat.
Petty Officer, all rise stand and ready!
Work together as a team, execute the mission, And the next time I see you, you’ll be sailors. Hooyah Navy.
[Sailors] Hooyah!
[Thors] Everything they learn is tested in a battle stations.
[Chief] Identify yourself.
[Man] Chief, Division Zero Zero One, manned and ready for battel stations, Chief.
[Chief] Very well.
[Man] You will not relax anything that is on you, does everyone understand?
[Thors] A 24 hour event where the recruit ceases to exist.
[Man] First shot!
[Sailors] First shot!
[Thors] And a sailor is forged. [Man] Run the water! That time, you just want to make sure it’s ass tight. [Woman] Breathe!
[Thors] Maybe bootcamp really is a machine with a swarm of moving parts, all working towards the same goal, making a sailor.
[Sailors] I 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 its combat edge and they 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 gentlemen, I present to you the newest and sharpest sailors in the United States Navy. (ceremonial marching music)
[Man] Please welcome Division Four Two Nine. Commanded by Petty Officer First Class John Jenkins, Petty First Class Richard Franco, and their Recruit Chief Petty Officer, Seaman Carson Nugent, from Carson city, Nevada. (ceremonial marching music continues) Division Four Three Zero. Commanded by Chief Petty Officer Billy Cornfeld, Petty Officer First Class Harley Subtle, Petty Officer First Class Dilona Perriman, and their Recruit Chief Petty Officer, Seaman Annette Pores from Buchanan, Michigan. (ceremonial marching music continues)
Division Four Three One. Commanded by Chief Petty Officer Joseph Akuna, Petty Officer First Class John Lacursey, and their Recruit Chief Petty Officer, Seaman Robert Gallagher, from St. Mary’s, Georgia. (ceremonial marching music continues) Division Four Three Two. Commanded by Petty Officer First Class, Roberto Santana, Petty Officer First Class Benito Niebres, Petty Officer Second Class Angel Zuniga, and their Recruit Chief Petty Officer, Seaman Alex Kreider, from Deland, Florida. (ceremonial marching music continues) Division Four Three Three. Commanded by Chief Petty Officer Timothy Fairbanks, Petty Officer First Class Clarissa Garcia, Petty Officer Second Class Dane Collins, and their Recruit Chief Petty Officer, Fireman’s Apprentice Bob Jennings from San Diego, California. (ceremonial marching music continues) Division Four Three Four. Commanded by Senior Chief Petty Officer Roger Newburgh, Petty Officer First Class Dustin Hunter, Petty Officer Second Class Buenita Jenkins, and their Recruit Chief Petty Officer, Seaman Samantha Village from Barstow, California. (ceremonial marching music continues) Division Four Three Five. Commanded by Petty Officer First lass Juan Gomez, Petty Officer Second Class, Jordain O’Casey, and their Recruit Chief Petty Officer, Airman James Chamberlain, from Greenville, South Carolina. (ceremonial marching music continues) Division Four Three Six. Commanded by Chief Petty Officer David Bronx, Petty Officer First Class Brian Dodson, and their Recruit Chief Petty Officer, Seaman Ruben Selize from Monroe Valley, California. (ceremonial marching music continues) Division Four Three Seven. Commanded by Petty Officer First Class Robert McKessie, Petty Officer First Class Jeff Sears, Petty Officer First Class Oscar Delarosa, and their Recruit Chief Petty Officer, Seaman Francis Villanueva from Milpitas, California. (ceremonial marching music continues) Division Four Three Eight. Commanded by Petty Officer First Class Eduardo Di Francisco, Petty Officer Second Class Laura Perez, and their Recruit Chief Petty Officer, Seaman Autumn Wyatt, from Lakeland, Florida. (ceremonial marching music continues) Division Four Three Nine. Commanded by Petty Officer First Class Chelsea Satchel, Petty Officer First Class Christopher Jefferson, Petty Officer First Class Zachary Joyce, and their Recruit Chief Petty Officer, Seaman Kristen Foster, from Dallas, Georgia. (ceremonial marching music continues) Division Four Four Zero. Commanded by Senior Chief Petty Officer Vlad Ares, Petty Officer First Class Ahmad Klines, Petty Officer Second Class Jacob Delavania, and their Recruit Chief Petty Officer, Seaman Christopher Hernandez Miranda, from San Juan, Puerto Rico. (ceremonial marching music continues) Division Four Four One. Commanded by Chief Petty Officer Jacques Henson, Petty Officer First Class Emmanuel Morgan, Petty Officer Second Class Natalie Lee, and their Recruit Chief Petty Officer, Seaman Christian Rosario, from Miami, Florida. (ceremonial arching music continues) Division Four Four Two. Commanded by Petty Officer First Class Julio Gordon, Petty Officer Second Class Hector Rosa, and their Recruit Chief Petty Officer, Seaman Alwin Granville, from Boca Raton, Florida. (ceremonial marching music continues) This concludes today’s ceremony. Thank you for attending. (ceremonial marching music ends)
Congratulations, sailors. You’ve all made it. You’re graduating from bootcamp and doing so in a time of extraordinary circumstances. Today we recognize your transformation from civilian to sailor. A sailor is a member of a profession, forged through shared adversity, confident in their abilities and certain in their conviction that they are ready to handle any challenge. The RTC staff, and your RDC’s, see these traits within each of you. I personally could not be more proud of how you’ve risen to the challenges we presented and proven that you have what it takes to be members of our Navy and profession of arms. While your time here has been different than others have experienced in the past, fundamentally, most things haven’t changed. Like every sailor, you’ve been trained in firefighting, damage control, seamanship, small arms, and watch standing. You proved you were tough mentally, morally, and physically. You showed you could work as a team, both relying on one another and being relied upon, you demonstrated the warrior spirit of sailors and earn the right to wear that title. The Corona virus has certainly impacted your experience, but the Navy is inherently flexible and agile, and excels when faced with challenges, just like you’ve all done here during bootcamp. But we’re not just congratulating you today. We’re welcoming new members of the Navy family watching from afar. While I wish you could all be here in person, I’m glad I’m at least able to virtually welcome you. The term Navy family isn’t just a slogan. It’s a real thing. And I’m going to let you families in on a secret. We need you to love and support us throughout our service to our nation. Thank you for your love and support of your sailor. You are truly part of our family and essential to the Navy. To the sailors graduating today, well done. We’re all very proud of you. Take care of one another and stay in the fight.
Let us pray. Good morning, Lord. We thank you for this day. We thank you for bringing these young sailors through the transformation of bootcamp. They have learned what it is to have honors. They’ve been continually tested and held to the highest standards, help them to use these lessons in the fleet. It took courage to step on the plane and leave everything they knew. Bless them with the same fortitude in the future, help them to trust in your goodness to carry them through when the challenges of life arise. They have proven their commitment to themselves, their family, and their nation. As we continue with the ceremony, I asked that you would solidify their commitments in all things. These core values will separate them from those they walk amongst. They may look the same Lord, but please, never let them be the same. As they bear the title of United States Sailor, let them always be the best of what our country has to offer. We pray these things in your name, amen. (“Anchors Aweigh”)
Throughout your time here, you’ve been taught toughness. You have been taught to run to the fire. You’ve been taught to deal with acute stress, how to process it and still move forward. You’ve been taught all that stuff. You’ve been taught to overcome challenge, and you have overcome challenges. The fact that you’re sitting here today says you’ve done that because here’s what I’m going to tell you. You’re going to be tested. It’s coming.
One of you is going to be sitting in your gym, working out, and you’re going to hear a loud crash off the back of your ship. And when you get up topside, a helicopter with 25 people has hit the back of the ship and fell in the water. And now you go to mass casualty and start rescuing people. One of you’s going to be eating from the mess decks, and you’re going to hear the flight deck fire drill, fire alarm go off, and you’re 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 plane’s on fire, and you got to go 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’re going to have to react. Everything I just said has happened to our Navy in the last four years and sailors like you responded and took action. Your test is coming. Are you ready?
[Sailors] Yes, Master Chief.
Weak. Weak! Are you ready?
[Sailors] Yes, Master Chief! I am proud of each and every one of you. You are absolutely the generation of sailors I want to go to war with. Be proud of what you’ve done. Earn it every day. I’m proud to call you shipmate. I look forward to seeing you in the fleet. I look forward to see you graduation tomorrow. Congratulations to your parents. Hooyah.
[Sailors] Hooyah!