Courtesy Photo | Seaman Apprentice Jason Lorentz graduated as the top Sailor from Recruit Training...... read more read more
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GREAT LAKES (NNS) – Seaman Apprentice Jason Lorentz graduated as the top Sailor from Recruit Training Command, earning the Military Excellence Award (MEA) January 23, 2025.
Lorentz, from Payson, Arizona, said he enlisted for a variety of reasons, including the opportunity to fulfill his lifelong dream.
“I’ve wanted to be a Sailor for as long as I can remember,” Lorentz said. “While I was in high school, I took the ASVAB so many times and came up short. I gave up my aspirations to serve for a few years until the Navy gave me a second chance to improve my test scores. I jumped at the opportunity, as it’s something I knew would help me to develop and become the kind of person my little brother and sister could be proud of. I wanted to show them that as long as you don’t give up anything is possible in life.”
Lorentz, 25, graduated from Payson High School and worked at the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) before enlisting.
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 him at the pinnacle of today’s newest Sailors. Lorentz is awarded a flag letter of commendation as part of his recognition.
According to Lorentz, the award is the best possible first step to start his naval career.
“When the award was announced, I was in shock. I was happy just to be here and wanted to succeed so badly that I think things just ended up working out for me. I’m really thankful for all of the opportunities I’ve been given, and to receive recognition is beyond anything I could have hoped for. I also believe very strongly that I didn’t succeed here by myself. The love and support from my family, friends, and fellow shipmates put me in the position I’m in today. I’m going to do my best to continue to honor them as I move forward in my career.”
Prior to basic military training, Lorentz completed the Future Sailor Prep Course (FSPC). This three-week course improves recruit performance before basic military training through building basic math and verbal skills with the goal of increasing ASVAB scores. Future Sailors who improve their scores are given the opportunity to reclassify into high-priority ratings and fill critical roles in the Navy.
“When I got here, I needed to improve my score by 10 points, and I wasn’t able to do that my first time through the program,” Lorentz said. “I was down on myself, but I knew I didn’t want to give up and decided to go through the three-week academic program a second time. I was really scared I was going to go home a failure and would have to explain what happened to my family. I put everything I had into what I was being taught in the course and tried to take advantage of the moment by working as hard as possible. Not only did I end up improving my score enough to meet the requirements, but I was also able to rerate from aviation boatswain’s mate (AB) to hospital corpsman (HM) because of my improved scores. This is the rate I’ve always wanted, and I’m so appreciative of everyone that’s helped me accomplish my goals along the way.”
Lorentz’s RDCs (Recruit Division Commanders) are Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class (AO1) Jonathan Garza, Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class (BM1) Anthony Brown and Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (HM1) Randy Ferrer, and they guided him through the 10-week process.
“My RDCs all worked really well together and each of them brought something different to the table,” he said. “Every single one of them put so much effort into training us the right way. Initiative, accountability, integrity, and toughness are all things I learned from them and that will be valuable to me throughout my time in the Navy.”
Along with his RDCs, Lorentz found inspiration from his leadership at FSPC.
“All of my instructors played a huge part in my success here. I honestly felt like they wanted us to graduate from FSPC and succeed more than we did at times. Having others so invested in your success was motivating and helped me to keep pushing forward to reach the finish line.”
Lorentz said the biggest challenge he faced in boot camp was adapting to the more disciplined lifestyle of the military.
“The process of becoming a Sailor isn’t an easy one,” said Lorentz. “Though there were a number of challenges I had to overcome, a big obstacle for me was being on a regimented schedule. Having someone tell you when to eat, when to sleep, when to workout, and when to speak was extremely difficult at first. I had to learn to trust in my RDCs and the training I was receiving. There were definitely some growing pains along the way, but I understand now that there is a purpose for everything you’re taught and told to do.”
After graduation, Lorentz will attend Hospital Corpsman “A” School in San Antonio, Texas, for training on basic principles and techniques of patient care and first aid procedures.
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: | 01.23.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.23.2025 10:04 |
| Story ID: | 489519 |
| Location: | GREAT LAKES, ILLINOIS, US |
| Hometown: | PAYSON, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,340 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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