Each year more than 40,000 recruits from across the country enter the halls of Naval Station Great Lakes to embark on a life-changing journey to serve in the U.S. Navy.

It is a voyage comprised of blood, sweat and tears that begins after they raise their right hand to swear an oath of allegiance to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America.

Eight long weeks are then spent away from family and friends at Recruit Training Command testing, marching and transitioning from a civilian lifestyle to the military.

It is a challenging journey that many start to become an active duty service member but don't always finish.

Seventy-five young men from St. Louis took on that journey as recruits from the 57th Cardinal Company Special Recruit Division. Sixty-three of those recruits graduated together Oct. 9, officially becoming U.S. Sailors.

"It feels great to be done with boot camp," said Seaman Recruit Dylan Mitchem. "I feel good."

For two months the young men had to learn how to overcome mental and physical challenges.

Learning how to swim was a personal and physical challenge said Seaman Recruit James Hollingsworth and one of the requirements, which almost sent him back home. He received a nonqualified swimmer status on his initial swim test and was sent back to re-train and qualify.

"I got ASMOD (Assignment Memorandum Order) out and came back within like a day," explained Hollingsworth. "So I'm pretty excited to graduate and get up out of here and make my mom proud."

Recruit Division Commander Chief Aviation Maintenance Administrationman Frankie Garrett shared that being away from family was one of the biggest obstacles many of the other young men faced.

"For some of them it's their first time being away from home, so it's a little difficult for them to adjust and live in quarters with a bunch of different people," said Garrett.

With 57th Cardinal Company Special Recruit Division being from the same area it helped them adjust a little more quickly and come together better, Garrett added.

The division also conducted several exercises to help build their comradery and improve their teamwork, as well as prepare them for their next duty station.

"You'll get thrown in a situation with 80 other people who have different values, morals, likes, dislikes and you're just going to have to work with them," said Recruit Division Commander Information Systems Technician 1st Class Max Rivero. "That's basically what it comes down to, so that when they do go out to the fleet it's easier for them to start being able to work with somebody that they met for the first time."

Throughout boot camp the young men demonstrated their ability to work together as a team. They beat out all the other male divisions in their training group to win the Captain's Cup challenge, a series of command teams, individual sporting events, leagues and tournaments held in competition; and Battle Stations, a 12-hour test of a recruit's skills in 17 shipboard evolutions, including fighting fires, stopping floods and transporting casualties.

Rivero stated it was a very rewarding experience to be part of the recruits training and see them become Sailors.

"I've had a hand in actually helping mold them into what they've wanted to become," said Rivero. "They all raised their hand and wanted to become a Sailor and it's a privilege to actually have a part in that."

Cardinal Company is the longest-running sponsored recruit division in all of the military services. The division is named for the St. Louis Cardinals which has sponsored such groups annually since 1959.


For more news from Navy Recruiting District St. Louis, visit www.navy.mil/.