Five future Sailors from Navy Recruiting Division (NRD) Metropolitan took the oath of enlistment at the Colorado National Monument during Western Slope Navy Week, July 24.

The future Sailors received the oath of enlistment from Rear Adm. Bret Batchelder, senior executive host of Navy Week, and Director, Maritime Operations, United States Fleet Forces Command.

An audience of friends and families watched as future Sailors Moriah Ontiveros, Lucas Pleasant, Jaden Zahniser, Kobe Wild and Faith Day were sworn into service.

“This was a really nerve-wrecking experience, but honestly it’s also very inspiring,” said Moriah Ontiveros, a future Sailor from NRD Metropolitan. “I am looking forward to joining the Navy. It’s a whole new journey that is scary, but I have this feeling of ‘Wow, I’m really just going for it.' I am so hyped.”

The oath of enlistment is a promise of service to one’s country, the Constitution of the United States and those appointed over them. It is recited at the beginning of service and each time a member reenlists.

“Doing the Oath of Enlistment is a life-changing thing,” said Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Xiomara Flores, a recruiter at Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Rocky Mountain. “Being able to do this as part of Navy Week is a really awesome opportunity. This is out of the ordinary. Being administered the oath by a two star admiral, is pretty huge, but they are excited about it and they know that it is a big deal.”

NTAG Rocky Mountain maintains four recruiting offices throughout the metropolitan area that recruit and prepare future Sailors for the Navy.

“Seeing these people grow up into future Sailors and then hopefully graduating into Sailors, is a huge pride thing,” said Flores. “I have been invested in them from the day of their interview, through the application process and to getting them into Denver Military Entrance Processing Station. Now I’m just mentoring them until they ship out.”

Since 2005, the Navy Week program has served as the Navy's principal outreach effort in the areas of the country without a significant naval presence. More than 210 Navy Weeks have been held in 74 different U.S. cities.

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For more information and a full schedule of events, visit https://outreach.navy.mil/Navy-Weeks/Western-Slope/

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