Courtesy Photo | Seaman Keiana Yardley graduated as the top Sailor from Recruit Training Command,...... read more read more
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GREAT LAKES (NNS) – Seaman Keiana Yardley graduated as the top Sailor from Recruit Training Command, earning the Military Excellence Award (MEA) November 14, 2024.
Yardley, from Herriman, Utah, said she enlisted for a variety of reasons, including the many career opportunities the Navy will provide.
“Being able to support myself and achieve my goals is important to me,” Yardley said. “I love challenges and learning new things. A career in the intelligence rating will allow me to become fluent in another language and acquire skills I don’t currently have. I think it’s pretty cool to have a job that I’m passionate about and be able to serve my country at the same time.”
Yardley, 18, graduated from Herriman High School, where she was a member of the NJROTC and the varsity drill team. In addition, Yardley was a peer mentor for physics students and is an avid rock climber in her spare time.
The Navy Club of the United States Military Excellence Award is the top award presented to the recruit that best exemplifies the qualities of enthusiasm, devotion to duty, military bearing, and teamwork. The award places her at the pinnacle of today’s newest Sailors. Yardley is awarded a flag letter of commendation as part of her recognition.
The award, according to Yardley, is the best possible first step to start her naval career.
“When I found out that I’d won the award, I thought they’d made a mistake,” said Yardley. “All the other recruits I was around are great people, so I was really shocked. At the start of training, I tried to lay low and just get through it. But as time went by, I started to try to push myself more to get the most out of my experience. Winning an award like this builds the foundation for the rest of my career. I want to strive to not just do the bare minimum, but to be the best I can possibly be and help those I work with to do their best as well.”
Yardley’s RDCs (Recruit Division Commanders) are Chief Aircrew Survival Equipmentmen (PRC) Karl Soratorio, Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (HM1) Steven Gajovski and Quartermaster 2nd Class (QM2) Meghan Kawaski, and they guided her through the 10-week process.
“It’s easy to think that your RDCs are just there looking for things you’re doing wrong,” she said. “In reality, they are there to help you become a better person and mold you into a Sailor that’s ready for the fleet. Looking back, I’ve learned so many things from the time I arrived here, and a lot of that is due to the lessons I learned from all of them. I’m really thankful for that.”
Along with her RDCs, Yardley found inspiration from the command chaplain.
“Chaplain Barry helped me a lot while I was here. There were times when I struggled and had a lot of self-doubt, and I went to him during counseling hours for advice. He was able to keep my mind centered on the present moment and reminded me that the hard work I did today would pay off in the future. There are times when you can only rely on yourself, and things won’t necessarily get easier. He helped me to realize this and find the internal motivation that I needed to succeed.”
Yardley said her biggest challenge was being separated from all the support she has back home.
“Sundays were always tough for me,” said Yardley. “We’d get a phone call sometimes and have a part of the day to ourselves. When you get a chance to think about things and talk to your family, sometimes you start to miss your old life. I realized that I couldn’t be there for people like I used to be. To stay in the present, I tried to get to know more people in my division and talked to them about whatever I was struggling with. We were all going through the same things together, and talking with them helped to keep me calm and not feel as alone. Bonding with the other recruits is what made this experience so memorable and is the part that will stick with me when all of this over.”
After graduation, Yardley will attend Cryptologic Technician Interpretive (CTI) “A” School in Monterey, California, for comprehensive language instruction.
Training at RTC is approximately 10 weeks, and all enlistees in the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. More than 40,000 Recruits train annually at the Navy’s only boot camp.
| Date Taken: | 11.15.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.15.2024 09:29 |
| Story ID: | 485382 |
| Location: | GREAT LAKES, ILLINOIS, US |
| Hometown: | HERRIMAN, UTAH, US |
| Web Views: | 8 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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