Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert visited Recruit Training Command (RTC) to tour the base and attend a recruit Pass-In-Review while serving as the ceremony's reviewing officer, June 5.

Mark L. Lendvay, Wisconsin's federal security director, was the guest of honor.

RTC, the Navy's only boot camp, graduated 679 Sailors from nine divisions and was attended by more than 2,700 family members and friends of the recruits.

Greenert began the morning by dining for breakfast in the galley of the USS Arizona building with select recruits, staff members, Rear Adm. Richard A Brown, commander, Naval Service Training Command, and Cmdr. Kertreck Brooks, executive officer, RTC.

This was followed by a tour of Battle Stations 21 (BST-21), which is the culmination of eight weeks of training by recruits. BST-21 is a grueling 12-hour test of a recruit's skills in several shipboard scenarios, including firefighting, combating flooding and transporting casualties. It is held on board the 210-foot-long Arleigh Burke-class destroyer replica, USS Trayer, the Navy's largest simulator.

"The efficiency and speed at which the personnel and staff operate here at RTC is quite impressive considering all that must be accomplished in just eight weeks of training," said Greenert. "The state-of-the art facilities, professionalism of those assigned to RTC, and the motivation I've seen from the recruits is the reason why graduating Sailors are able to easily adapt to service in the fleet."

Greenert viewed the capping ceremony for recruits who successfully completed BST-21 and congratulated them after they were handed their Navy ball caps, signifying they are now officially Sailors.

"It is always an honor and privilege to host the Navy's most senior leadership at the Quarterdeck of the Navy," said Brooks. "Adm. Greenert's visit provides an opportunity to display the commitment and dedication of the staff to our mission of forging the next generation of Sailors. In turn, it also demonstrates the commitment of our senior leadership to our newest Sailors."

During the ceremony, guests paused for a moment of silence during a wreath laying ceremony to commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the Battle of Midway, which was the turning point in the Pacific theater of World War II and set the stage for the United States victory over Japan.

With the attack, the Japanese military had planned to capture Midway to use as an advance base, as well as to entrap and destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Because of communications and intelligence successes, the U.S. Pacific Fleet surprised the Japanese forces, sinking the four Japanese carriers, which had attacked Pearl Harbor only six months prior.

"This drill hall, the site of weekly recruit graduation ceremonies, is named Midway Ceremonial Drill Hall in honor of the Battle of Midway. Our wreath-laying ceremony serves as our cornerstone for many similar wreath-laying ceremonies throughout the U.S. Navy," said Lt. D'Juan Wilcher, ship's officer for Midway Ceremonial Drill Hall, as he addressed the guests in attendance. "Let it be known that as the junior officers of Recruit Training Command lay this wreath, wreaths are being laid around the world in honor of our Midway veterans.

As Greenert addressed the graduating Sailors and guests in attendance, he also recognized the importance of the Battle of Midway and sent a message to the newly graduated Sailors- it was Sailors just like them that made the difference in changing the momentum of WWII.

"This battle was won because of the skill and the bravery of Sailors. These were not unique people; these were ordinary Sailors that made the difference. These were your predecessors - those of you graduating today - they just served at a different time," said Greenert while addressing the graduating recruits. "We're reminded once again it's not technology, it's not economics - it's people that make this nation and this Navy great."

Pass-in-Review is a longstanding military ceremony that began as a way for newly assigned commanders to inspect his troops. Visiting military members and dignitaries act as the reviewing officer for weekly PIR ceremonies and have the honor of inspecting and sharing words of encouragement to the Navy's newest members before entering the fleet.

RTC is primarily responsible for conducting the initial Navy orientation and training of new recruits. The command is commonly referred to as "boot camp" or "recruit training".

Boot camp is approximately eight weeks, and all enlistees into the United States Navy begin their careers at the command. Training includes physical fitness, seamanship, firearms familiarization, firefighting and shipboard damage control, lessons in Navy heritage and core values, teamwork and discipline.

Since the closure of RTCs in Orlando and San Diego in 1994, RTC Great Lakes is the Navy's only basic training location, and is known as "The Quarterdeck of the Navy." Today, approximately 38,000 recruits graduate annually from RTC and begin their Navy careers.

RTC is overseen by Rear Adm. Rich A. Brown, commander, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC), headquartered in Building 1; the historic clock tower building on Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois. NSTC oversees 98 percent of initial officer and enlisted accessions training for the Navy.

NSTC also oversees the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) at more than 160 colleges and universities, Officer Training Command at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island, and Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) and Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC) citizenship development programs at more than 600 high schools worldwide.

Learn more at http://bootcamp.navy.mil or find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NavyRecruitTrainingCommand/.

For more information about NSTC, visit http://www.netc.navy.mil/nstc/ or visit the NSTC Facebook pages at https://www.facebook.com/NavalServiceTraining/.

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