Staff in the Spotlight

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Stuart Posada | Boatswain's Mate 1st Class Mercedes Logan, a Recruit Division Commander (RDC) at Recruit Training Command (RTC) in Great Lakes, Illinois. She also works in the Naturalization Program that helps recruits who joined the Navy become U.S. citizens. Boot camp is approximately ten weeks, and all enlistees in the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command.  

ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES

10.31.2023

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Stuart Posada 

U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command

Meet Boatswain's Mate 1st Class Mercedes Logan! She's a Recruit Division Commander (RDC) at Recruit Training Command (RTC), the Navy's only boot camp.

Her parents moved from Liberia to the United States when she was 9.

"I joined in 2008," she said. "I am a native of Liberia, West Africa, but was raised in New Jersey. I graduated from Ridge High School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey in 2007."

Logan, along with being an RDC, also helps run the Naturalization Program that helps recruits who joined the Navy become U.S. citizens.

"My biggest accomplishment at RTC would be attaining my Master Training Specialist (MTS) certificate in a short period and aiding to run the Naturalization Program to get recruits naturalized," Logan said. "Since I, too was a non-citizen recruit while I was in boot camp, I chose to dedicate my entire Recruit Training Period (RTP) free time to the program, all while working nights at Night of Arrivals (NOA)," Logan added.

With a full schedule, Logan does not let the pressure get to her.

"I am very goal-oriented, and I thrive from having set goals, working towards them daily, accomplishing them, and setting new ones after," Logan said. "It gives me a sense of purpose and that I am being a productive member of society."

Logan's been on different deployments, overseas and forward deployed. She's gained quite a bit of experience in the Navy. She chose to come back to boot camp to pay it forward.

"The best part of working at RTC is that we are molding the future of the Navy and putting recruits in the fleet, which gives me a sense of pride from any other command I've been to."

It's been almost 15 years since Logan went through boot camp as a recruit, and although a lot has changed, she loves what she does.

"It is rewarding because when recruits graduate, and they tell me, 'Petty Officer, you have changed my life forever. You motivated me to push myself, and you set the example for me to emulate as the Petty Officer that I want to become,'" Logan said. "Hearing this a lot from different recruits, from divisions, sometimes not even my own, is why I do it. It makes all the long days and early mornings worth it."

Logan feels that by coming to RTC to be an RDC, she is setting herself up for success for the rest of her time.

"I volunteered to come here, and I do not regret it. My two goals, personal and professional, coming here were to get MTS and to make Chief," Logan added. "I've already accomplished one, and if I can't get the second one done in time, I will be equipped with the tools to accomplish it at my next command."

Boot camp is approximately ten weeks, and all enlistees in the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. Training includes five warfighting competencies of firefighting, damage control, seamanship, watchstanding, and small arms handling and marksmanship, along with physical fitness and lessons in Navy heritage and core values, Warrior Toughness, Life Skills, teamwork, and discipline. More than 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navy's only boot camp.

• Date Taken: 10.31.2023
• Date Posted: 10.31.2023 10:59
• Story ID: 456858
• Location: ILLINOIS, US