GREAT LAKES, Ill. - Sailors are some of the most highly-trained people on the planet, according to Navy officials, and at Recruit Training Command (RTC), otherwise known as “boot camp,” these skills are taught by hard-charging, Navy professionals who transforms civilians into disciplined, qualified U.S Navy sailors.
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| Photo by Lt. Cmdr. Jacob Joy, Navy Office of Community Outreach |
Lt. j.g. Robin Stillwater, a native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, plays an important role at RTC, supporting these sailors as a chaplain.
As a chaplain, Stillwater is responsible for counseling sailors and leading religious services.
Stillwater, a 2008 The Circle School graduate, joined the Navy five years ago.
“I come from an anti-military family,” said Stillwater. “One day, I met a recruiter who told me about the chaplain candidate program and about the Navy in general. At the time, I was in seminary to become an ordained minister. After I talked to him, I heard a voice speak to me that said, 'Just because people are different from you does not mean that they don’t deserve your ministry.' That's when I realized that this is something I was called to do.”
According to Stillwater, the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Harrisburg.
“Living in Harrisburg gave me the tools to empathize, understand and respect different viewpoints,” said Stillwater. “It taught me to gently challenge, and respectfully and lovingly disagree. It also taught me to stand up when people are doing what is actually quite harmful. Living in Harrisburg also taught me to move and interact in rural and urban environments.”
In 1994, RTC Great Lakes became the Navy's only recruit training facility. The mission of RTC is to transform civilians into smartly disciplined, physically fit, basically trained Sailors who are ready for follow-on training and service to the fleet while instilling in them the highest standards of Honor, Courage, and Commitment.
Recruit training involves a change in the mental and physical capacity of the new recruit, according Navy officials. From the first day at RTC through graduation day when new sailors board the bus to depart, recruits find themselves in a whirl of activity. Every recruit entering the Navy today will remember RTC as their introduction to Navy life.
Bootcamp is approximately eight weeks and all enlistees into the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. Their basic training curriculum is comprised of five core competencies: firefighting & damage control, seamanship, watch standing, and physical fitness. Through a hands-on learning approach, recruits ‘train how they fight’ and receive critical warfighting skills during the sailor development process. The command consists of more than 1,100 staff members, with an average of 6,000 recruits in training at any time.
Jobs are highly varied at RTC, both sailors and civilians work together to keep the command running smoothly – this includes coordinating public affairs events, religious ministries and providing administrative and logistic support.
With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.
According to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, four priorities will focus efforts on sailors, readiness, capabilities, and capacity.
“For 245 years, in both calm and rough waters, our Navy has stood the watch to protect the homeland, preserve freedom of the seas, and defend our way of life,” said Gilday. “The decisions and investments we make this decade will set the maritime balance of power for the rest of this century. We can accept nothing less than success.”
Serving in the Navy means Stillwater is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“Seventy percent of the world is water; this includes oceans, rivers and lakes," said Stillwater. "We're surrounded by oceans and at a moment’s notice, countries that pose a risk to us are only an ocean away. If we can't meet them halfway, then the fighting comes to our shores and compromises what peace we have.”
Stillwater and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“I'm proud of climbing up a 40-foot rope ladder and successfully bringing comfort to someone going through difficult times,” said Stillwater.
As Stillwater and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“I'm making a difference in the lives of people who are, or will be or may be, undergoing traumatic experiences in defense of our country,” added Stillwater.