Seaman Recruit Daniel R. Walter, Division 162, graduated as the top Sailor from Recruit Training Command earning the Military Excellence Award, May 26.

Walter, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, joined the Navy to physically and mentally challenge himself, as well as take advantage of the opportunity to further his education.

He was assigned the rate of electronics technician (nuclear).

The Navy Club of the United States Military Excellence Award (MEA) is the top award presented to the number one recruit of their graduating training group. The MEA is awarded to the recruit that best exemplifies the qualities of enthusiasm, devotion to duty, military bearing and teamwork. The award placed him at the pinnacle of today's newest Sailors. Walter was awarded a flag letter of commendation.

Walter said he was surprised at earning the number one spot as he came to boot camp with a good rate that has decent advancement opportunities. His goal was to simply get through boot camp unnoticed and not set back in training for any reason.

"I thought out of a whole training group of recruits and with me being one who was trying to blend in and just kind of get through, I wasn't going to get much of anything," said Walter. "My recruit division commanders (RDC) called me in one day with the news that I earned the MEA and I was floored because for me that was something extra to give my parents and family."

When he looks back on his boot camp experience, Walter explained why he cannot pinpoint any single memorable experience that would immediately come to mind because of how swiftly the time went for him.

"It's going to be one of those things where I'm going to be sitting down at a cafe someday with family or a significant other and I'm going to see something that is going to trigger a memory from boot camp and I'm going to say, 'Oh wow! This reminds me of that one time that so-and-so did this and it was hilarious,' or 'My RDC said this and I died laughing when I wasn't supposed to laugh and I got yelled at for it,'" said Walter. "So there's lot of little situations that happened so fast, it's just a blur. It moves quickly. It's baffling how fast it moves, while at the same time, when I sit down and try to remember doing something back home, it feels so far away."

One thing in particular he claims that was exceptionally beneficial to his success was the numerous and invaluable letters from home.

"I would like to thank my family and girlfriend because they have sent me so many letters. I'm probably in that top 10 percent every night that always receives letters, especially during the first half of boot camp. Those were what really kind of kept me going," said Walter. "When I was having a rough day and I would think, 'Oh hey, I'll get mail tonight. Hopefully, they'll send me something funny or say something that will remind me of home and comfort me for the night.'"

Walter offered sound advice to incoming recruits to help them find success during their boot camp training.

"I felt pretty prepared coming in to boot camp and my whole goal was just to behave as well as possible. When people ask me how I got number one recruit, I say, 'Well, I did what I was told and that was it.' Honestly, I just did what I was asked and did it to the best of my ability," said Walter. "My advice to incoming recruits is, humble yourself. Be humble. It doesn't matter who you were before you came in, you are here to be broken down and built back up. So do yourself a favor, come in already humbled. That way you don't have to be knocked down a peg or two by anybody in a way that would be unpleasant. That's the key thing as to how I made it."

After graduation, Walter will attend a six-month electronics technician (nuclear) rating course in Charleston, South Carolina, followed by another year of additional training. During his schooling, he will learn to perform duties in nuclear propulsion plants operating reactor control, propulsion and power generation systems.

Boot camp is approximately eight weeks and all enlistees into the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. Training includes physical fitness, seamanship, firearms, firefighting and shipboard damage control along with lessons in Navy heritage and core values, teamwork and discipline. About 30,000 to 40,000 recruits graduate annually from Recruit Training Command and begin their Navy careers.

For more news from Recruit Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/.