Seaman Recruit Matthew Benincasa, Division 811, graduated as the top Sailor from Recruit Training Command earning the Military Excellence Award on April 6.

Benincasa, 27, said he joined the Navy in order to help combat the growing threat of terrorism against America.

"I hope I can assist the brave Sailors around the world who liberate oppressed peoples and provide freedoms for those who have never known it," Benincasa said.

Benincasa, from Rye, New York, is a 2013 graduate of Lafayette College with a degree in writing and philosophy. He previously worked as a copywriter for a New York City advertising agency.

He was assigned the rate of Special Warfare Operator.

The Navy Club of the United States Military Excellence Award is the top award presented to the No. 1 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. Benincasa is awarded a flag letter of commendation.

Benincasa described winning the MEA as a complete surprise, as well as an amazing experience.

"Out of the entire training group, I'm incredibly humbled to be receiving this award," Benincasa said. "In my division and in our brother division, there were many excellent recruits with strong attention to detail, drive, dedication, and the ability to win this award. I'm honored that my hard work was recognized, but would not be standing here today without the efforts of my teammates."

Benincasa said the most challenging part of his Boot Camp experience was being "always-on, 24/7."

"There was never time to relax or let loose," he said. "The moment you let your guard down, you failed - boot camp is a 24/7 commitment."

Benincasa credited his Recruit Division Commanders, Chief Aviation Electronics Technician William Roberts, Utilitiesman 1st Class Enrico Collantes and Yeoman 1st Class Audrey Cawthon for their leadership and complementary teaching styles.

"Without Chief Roberts pushing me to succeed and Petty Officer Collantes' wisdom and expectations, my boot camp experience might have been vastly different," Benincasa said. "Most SO's enter boot camp expecting to fly under the radar, but my RDCs thrusted me headfirst into leadership positions and pushed me to be a better recruit, teammate, man, and ultimately, Sailor."

After graduation, Benincasa will attend the Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School in Great Lakes, Illinois. Special Warfare Operators perform a multitude of duties in support of special operations missions and operate on, under and from the sea, in the air and on land. These duties require skills in combat diving, skydiving and air operations, small boat operations, submarine and submersible operations, land warfare, small unit tactics, mounted and dismounted operations, small arms and crew served weapons, explosives, communications, tactical medicine, mission planning, intelligence gathering and interpretation, joint and combined operations, and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear defense measures in all environments including urban, desert, jungle, arctic, and mountain warfare.

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 RTC and begin their Navy careers.

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