Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class John Suits | A recruit gets a plate full of food inside the United Service Organization Great Lakes...... read more read more
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GREAT LAKES (NNS) – The spirit of gratitude had a special meaning this Christmas as local civic organizations rallied together to adopt just over 1,000 Navy recruits as part of Recruit Training Command’s (RTC) Adopt-A-Sailor program Dec. 25.
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.
“On behalf of the men and women of our Navy, I extend our deepest gratitude to the local civic organizations that have opened their hearts to adopt our recruits this Christmas,” said Capt. Ken Froberg, RTC’s commanding officer. “Their generosity and kindness have provided our recruits with a much-needed home away from home during the holiday season.”
In all, 13 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.
For Seaman Recruit Derek Kuter, 19, of Dodgeville, Wisconsin, having the opportunity to spend the day away from training on the holiday helped him deal with being apart from his family.
“Thank goodness I’ve been able to make phone calls and Facetime calls, but I definitely have mixed emotions with this being the first time away from home,” said Kuter. “I’m enjoying the food, relaxation, and being away from training environment. It’s also a nice break being away from the Recruit Division Commanders as well as them getting a break from us!”
The Whiting Elks Lodge in Whiting, Indiana, now in their 16th year hosting recruits, gets the entire community involved in the must-anticipated annual event.
“Our motto is, ‘As long as we are veterans, we will never forget’ and we know these recruits are the making of veterans,” said Kathryn McArde, one of the group’s organizers. “We support our military, and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks supports our military 100 percent. Our entire community, including our mayor, gets behind us. We get a police escort into town as the busses of recruits arrive. It’s a huge thing with people lining up on the streets for the parade as they wave the busses in; it’s very exciting. We just want to give these recruits a chance to talk to their families, have a merry Christmas, Santa will visit, and they’ll get just a little taste of home.”
This year the USO (United Service Organizations) of Naval Station Great Lakes became involved as they hosted just over 200 recruits at their facilities on the main side of base.
“It’s overwhelming to see the recruits having a blast. We are a family and while they’re away from home, they’re at home here with us, and we hopefully helped to create this environment for them,” said Andrae Sutherland, director of operations manager for the USO and Navy veteran who retired from RTC. “Their excitement and smiles are amazing. This is what it means to have a family during the holidays. My family did not show up for my boot camp graduation, but I had a family there: my fellow Sailors. Just as these recruits do not have their families here, we all got together here and celebrated Christmas as one family. We’re providing that hominess and environment and I’m happy to be here with them.”
Most 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 program not only provides a reprieve 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.
“For many of these young men and women, this is their first time away from their families, and the warmth and support they’ve received from the community make all the difference,” added Froberg. “It’s a powerful reminder of the bond between the Navy and the communities we serve, and we are truly thankful for their care and hospitality.”
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 Marrs-Meyer Post 991, Worth, Illinois; American Legion Post 615, Tinley Park, Illinois; American Veterans Motorcycle Riders Post 2791, Tinley Park, Illinois; Christian Liberty Academy, Arlington Heights, Illinois; First Baptist Church of Hammond, Hammond, Indiana; First Corinthian Church, Zion, Illinois; Combined Veterans of Berwyn, Berwyn, Illinois; American Legion Post 398, Hazel Crest, Illinois; McHenry Masonic Lodge 158, McHenry, Illinois; The Point Church, Winthrop Harbor, Illinois; Polish American Legion, McHenry, Illinois; Whiting Elks Lodge, Whiting, Indiana; and USO, Naval Station Great Lakes.
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, 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: | 12.28.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.30.2024 09:33 |
| Story ID: | 488414 |
| Location: | GREAT LAKES, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 741 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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