GREAT LAKES, Ill. - Sailors are some of the most highly-trained people on the planet, according to Navy officials, and this training requires highly-dedicated recruit division commanders.
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| Photo by Lt. Cmdr. Jake Joy, Navy Office of Community Outreach |
At Recruit Training Command (RTC), otherwise known as “boot camp,” hard-charging Navy professionals, who guide recruits in the transformation process, from civilians, into disciplined, qualified U.S Navy sailors.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Sibel Uzun, a native of Turkey with ties to Long Island, New York, is a recruit division commander (RDC) at RTC, who trains and mentors the future of the fleet.
“I enjoy the fact that we are the recruits first exposure to the military,” said Uzun. “In order to hold them to high standards, I have to hold myself to a high standard as well. It is a real opportunity to be the change you want to see in the world.”
Uzun, a 2009 graduate of Semsettin Mursaloglu High School in Turkey and 2002 National University graduate, joined the Navy seven years ago.
“I was an immigrant from Turkey and I joined the Navy for citizenship and educational opportunities,” said Uzun. “As I learned more about the Navy I stayed in, because it helped me overcome challenges.”
RDCs are highly-qualified, fleet sailors, specially selected for their leadership and teaching abilities to mold tomorrow’s sailors. They must represent and teach Navy tradition, customs and discipline and be intimately familiar with instructional techniques, principles of leadership and administrative procedures.
In order to become an RDC, they must pass a highly rigorous, 13-week course of instruction, which takes place at RTC.
According to Uzun, the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Turkey.
“Growing up I had to fight for everything I had, including my freedom that translated into me always giving my best,” said Uzun. “I learned that if it’s not hard, it's not worth having. If I can make life better for younger people so they will have a better future, I will. The Navy is one of the best places to have an impact where hard work pays off.”
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.
Boot camp 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.
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 Uzun 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.
“The Navy is instrumental not only for the security of the country but as a defender of freedom and democracy around the world,” said Uzun.
Uzun and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“I am most proud of becoming a Recruit Division Commander in my career,” said Uzin. “I have wanted to do that since I came to boot camp. When the opportunity came, I took it without hesitation.”
As Uzun and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“As a woman, serving in the Navy means I am an equal,” added Uzun. “I will always be pushed to exceed my limits and challenge myself with something new. I do this because I have job security and a stable life, which I lacked most of my life. Being in the Navy means no matter what happens, I can pick myself up and serve for a bigger purpose.”