Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher OGrady | Recruits wait inside a bus to leave Recruit Training Command (RTC) with a sponsor...... read more read more
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GREAT LAKES (NNS) – The spirit of gratitude had a special meaning this Thanksgiving as local civic organizations rallied together to adopt nearly 1,500 Navy recruits as part of Recruit Training Command’s (RTC) Adopt-A-Sailor program Nov. 23.
The recruits, far from home and in the early stages of their military journey at the Navy’s only boot camp, were granted a day off base to experience the warmth and hospitality of local communities during the holiday season.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to connect with our local Chicago area community, break bread, and share stories of service this Thanksgiving through our Adopt-A-Sailor program,” said Capt. Ken Froberg, RTC’s commanding officer. “This is what makes the American experience so precious, thank you!”
In all, 20 organizations adopted recruits from the command. The initiative has been a tradition in many towns for many years, bringing together the close-knit communities to show appreciation for the sacrifices made by those in uniform. Their day was filled with camaraderie, a holiday feast, and the warmth of a welcoming community.
“I’m very excited for this event because it’s Thanksgiving and I get to spend the day off base with my division and experience recruit liberty for once and eat good food,” said Seaman Recruit Kesler Schneider, 18, as he lined up with his division awaiting to head to a bus. “All the groups that make this possible for all 1,500 of us is truly a blessing.”
Seaman Recruit Joseph Taylor, 19, agreed.
“I’m pretty excited to get a break and spend time with the groups that are willing to feed us, and especially to have the chance to call my family and see how things are back home,” said Taylor.
The majority of the organizations and volunteers have continually supported the program over the years by providing a day of food, movies, video games, music and most popular of all, phone calls home. The program tends to bring an organization's community together as hundreds of volunteers spend months planning the event and raising the necessary funds to feed the recruits.
The Lake County Building & Construction Trades Council begin hosting recruits six years ago.
“I believe we need to give back to the young men and women that have taken the time to serve our country,” said Pete Olson, host organizer. “We have people from various groups coming in to help feed the recruits breakfast, lunch and dinner, and give them the ability to play games, relax, and to do something that they’re not used to doing. Above all, they’ll have the ability to call home.”
The program not only provides a reprieve the for the recruits but also fosters a sense of unity within the community. All volunteers saw connections strengthened as they learned more about the sacrifices made by the men and woman in uniform as they shared stories and forged connections over a holiday feast.
“We get as much gratitude out of it as the recruits do,” said organizer Pete Vukovich with the Hammond Mohawks Athletic and Conservatory Club in Hammond, Indiana, who have hosted recruits for the past 10 years. “Most of us are Navy veterans as well, including myself as I went through boot camp here in 1967! We’re providing them with a full dinner, telephone calls and computer usage, watching football and lots of food.”
The program provided a respite from the rigors of boot camp and wove a tapestry of friendship that would endure beyond the Thanksgiving festivities.
The organizations have continued this tradition with the help of hundreds of volunteers and fundraising efforts throughout the year to make the program a success. They include:
American Legion Post 208, Arlington Heights; American Legion Post 690, Palatine; American Legion Post 888, Howard H. Rhode chapter, Northlake; American Legion Posts 525 and VFW Post 1337, Mount Prospect; AMVETS Post 66, Wheeling; Christian Fellowship of Lindenhurst, Lindenhurst; Elmhurst American Legion, Elmhurst; Franklin Park Post 974, Franklin Park; Gurnee Community Church, Gurnee; Hammond Mohawks Athletic & Conservatory Club, Hammond, Indiana; Knights of Columbus/St. Margaret Mary Church, Algonquin; Lake County Building & Construction Trades Council, Highland Park, McHenry Moose Lodge 691, McHenry; New Life Lutheran Church, Lake Zurich; Nunda Masonic Lodge, Crystal Lake; Polish Legion of American Vets, McHenry; Redeemer Lutheran Church, Waukegan; VFW Post 2868, Brookfield; Villa Park Post 2801, Villa Park; and Wauconda Moose, Lodge 1969, Wauconda.
Boot camp is approximately 10 weeks and all enlistees into 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.
For more news from Recruit Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/rtc
| Date Taken: | 11.27.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 11.27.2023 14:17 |
| Story ID: | 458558 |
| Location: | GREAT LAKES, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 2,109 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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