Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher OGrady | 241017-N-LN782-1558 GREAT LAKES, Il. (Oct. 17, 2024) Personnel Specialist 1st Class...... read more read more
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Meet Personnel Specialist First Class (PS1) Joselyn Quijada, a Recruit Division Commander (RDC) at Recruit Training Command (RTC) Great Lakes, the Navy’s only boot camp.
Originally from Los Angeles, California, Quijada’s journey in the Navy began seven years ago with the desire for a change of scenery and the chance to obtain new life experiences.
“I wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and dive headfirst into a life of adventure,” Quijada says. “I pictured myself sailing the high seas and visiting exotic ports, and generally living the dream. Of course, I ended up stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, Arizona. Instead of the ocean and ships, I got miles and miles of desert,” she chuckles. “Even though I had to stray from my initial plan, life is all about unexpected turns, right? I still have plenty of opportunities to travel in the future, and I’m ready to embrace them—just hopefully with more ocean views!”
Prior to arriving at RTC, Quijada was stationed at Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Phoenix and Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23. Quijada’s primary duties as an RDC include transforming young men and women into smartly disciplined, physically fit, and basically trained Sailors. Recently, Quijada graduated her fourth division and will now shift to an instructor role at RDC “C” school, where she’ll help to train RDC candidates.
Much of Quijada’s success here at RTC can be attributed to her mother, who she credits for laying the foundations for her work ethic.
“My biggest inspiration has always been my mother,” she says. “Watching her as a single parent of four and juggling two jobs just to ensure we had everything we needed instilled in me the importance of hard work at an early age. I also credit my ‘Navy mom’ who was a mentor of mine and helped shape me into the Sailor I am today. She’s a retired PS1 and worked as a contractor at my first command. I credit her with showing me how to have confidence in myself and for setting me on a path for career success.”
Though Quijada has accomplished many of her goals while at RTC, her duties aren’t without challenges.
“As an RDC, it can be tough understanding how to handle difficult situations,” Quijada says. “Early on, it was easy to spend too much energy trying to help individual recruits. I quickly learned that catering to each person sacrifices valuable training time and the performance of the entire group. Learning the different avenues to address issues that come up has allowed me to maximum growth and productivity for everyone.”
The most rewarding part of being at RDC, according to Quijada, is being able to mold the next generation of Sailors.
“Divisions are composed of people from all walks of life, and you never know who you’re going to get. For me, it’s all about incremental change. Watching these young adults become confident Sailors and seeing their personalities flourish through all the rigorous training we put them through is the most gratifying aspect of my job. I always tell them, if they can take anything from me, it’s to be a decent human being. The world needs it.”
Much of Quijada’s drive to shape the future of the Navy is deeply rooted in her desire to give back.
“Some days I feel like I’m not doing enough in exchange for all the Navy has provided me,” she says. “Being an RDC has taught me so much about myself. It’s forced me to embrace discomfort, which I believe is when you grow the most. I’ve learned discipline, how to function in high-stress environments, and to see the positive aspects of every situation. It really has changed my overall outlook, and the more time I spend here, the more I’ve realized that every experience is what you make of it. The Navy has given me so many wonderful opportunities, and I’m glad I can do my part for the future of the Navy.”
Looking ahead, being in a position to help others is Quijada’s primary ambition.
“My ultimate goal is to be an administrative officer on a naval vessel. This will allow me to take the knowledge I’ve gained from my enlisted experience and utilize it to train the future of the fleet. This ties into other aspirations of mine, too. I’m always looking to be an example to all the young women out there who dream of being successful, and I hope to be of service in any way that I can.”
Quijada continues to contribute to the Navy’s mission, upholding the values of service and dedication to inspire future Sailors as they join the fleet.
Boot camp is approximately 10 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, watch standing, 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: | 11.04.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.04.2024 10:17 |
| Story ID: | 484580 |
| Location: | GREAT LAKES, ILLINOIS, US |
| Hometown: | LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 644 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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