Rear Adm. Stephen C. Evans, commander, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC), joined 25 recruits from Recruit Training Command (RTC) for Thanksgiving festivities at Morton Grove American Legion Post 134 Nov. 24.

Known throughout the Chicago area as "Adopt-a-Sailor," local communities in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana "adopt" Navy recruits and Sailors for the holidays. The communities provide a Thanksgiving Day meal with all the trimmings and other assorted treats for the Sailors.

As part of RTC's annual involvement in the program, the recruits were afforded the opportunity to spend the day off-base with their families or with a local civic organization.

In Morton Grove, as the recruits stepped down from the bus, they were greeted by Evans along with military veterans and local community members with a salute and "thank you" for their service.

"I thank all the Veterans of the Morton Grove American Legion here today that continue to support our military by hosting our Sailors and saying thanks to those that serve in uniform and cannot be with their families," said Evans. "The holidays are a great time to spend with family and friends. We cannot forget about our men and women in uniform that continue to stand the watch so we can enjoy the holidays."

"This is the 11th year our post has hosted this fabulous program and I thank everyone who has supported us," said retired Army Col. Thomas Mann, post commander. "I am impressed more and more by the groups of recruits that come down here to spend Thanksgiving with us."

Among those supporters was Casey Bachara who is an Army veteran who has been the Thanksgiving Day Committee Chairman for the Morton Grove American Legion Post 134 for 10 years. This is his 17th year of being involved with the Adopt-a-Sailor event which they refer to as Navy Day.

"Each year I ask the question, Why are you here? You are here because you chose to wear the uniform and serve this country and we salute you," said Bachara in speaking to the recruits.

Evans and his NSTC staff oversee 98 percent of initial officer and enlisted accessions training for the Navy, as well as the Navy's citizenship development program. NSTC also oversees Recruit Training Command, the Navy's only boot camp at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois; Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps at more than 160 colleges and universities across the country; Officer Training Command in Newport, Rhode Island; and NJROTC and Navy National Defense Cadet Corps citizenship development programs at more than 600 high schools worldwide.


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