Seaman Recruit River Johnson, Division 165, graduated as the top Sailor from Recruit Training Command, earning the Military Excellence Award on April 20.

Johnson, 22, said he joined the Navy for a multitude of reasons.

"The two biggest would be pride and opportunity," he said. "I have always felt that I had the potential to amount to great things in my life and prior to coming to RTC, I didn't feel like I was living up to that potential. My life was good but I was looking for great. I knew the Navy would give me the opportunity to finish my college degree and start my life on the right path."

Johnson, from Castle Rock, Colorado, is a 2014 graduate of Castle View High School. He studied business finance at the University of Colorado and is the sixth oldest in a family of 13 children.

He was assigned the rate of Information Systems Technician.
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. Johnson is awarded a flag letter of commendation.

Johnson said winning the MEA has helped him believe in himself and the choice he made.

"Winning this award has given me confidence in my ability to excel in life," he said. "It's always nice to be appreciated for the hard work that you put in, and this just reinforces that joining the Navy has been the greatest decision I've ever made."

Johnson credited his Recruit Division Commanders, Chief Personnel Specialist Pat Abiera, Engineman 2nd Class Shanna Williams and Engineman 2nd Class Christopher Crawford for their leadership and guidance.

He also expressed appreciation for his friend, Chris Major.

"Chris and I have been best friends since 2005 and boot camp has been the longest I've ever gone without talking to him," Johnson said. "My decision to join the Navy was largely influenced by him, because I eventually want to come home a better man for the sake of the people I love."

Johnson said the most challenging part of boot camp was dealing with separation from friends and family.

"I have a large family and I have a lot of really close friends who have been in my life since I was extremely young, so having to leave them was a difficult process," he said. "However, I began to overcome this day by day as the relationship with my shipmates grew stronger. I reached a point where I realized I'm actually going to genuinely miss boot camp."

After graduation, Johnson will attend the Information Systems Technician "A" School at Pensacola, Florida. Information System Technicians perform core and specialty functions of communications operations, message processing, network administration and security.

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 38,000 to 40,000 recruits graduate annually from RTC and begin their Navy careers.

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

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