GREAT LAKES (NNS) — Seaman Recruit Chad Dreher, Division 420, graduated as the top Sailor from Recruit Training Command, earning the Military Excellence Award on November 8.
“I want my wife, Candice Dreher, to be proud of the man she married,” he said. “As my son, Leonidas Dreher, grows up and is asked, ‘Who is your hero?’ I don’t want his answer to be ‘Superman’ or ‘Batman.’ I want him to say, ‘my dad.’ I want my boy to know what it takes to be a real hero. My family is what motivates me to wake up, go out, and work hard every day to make a better life for ourselves.”
Dreher, 29, is a 2008 graduate of Pioneer High School in San Jose, California, where he played football and hockey. He was first responder and emergency medical technician in San Diego, California. Dreher also was a self-employed business owner of a travel company.
Dreher is assigned the rate of Electronics Technician.
The Navy Club of the United States Military Excellence Award is the top award presented to the No. 1 recruit of their graduating training group. The MEA is awarded to the recruit that best exemplifies the qualities of enthusiasm, devotion to duty, military bearing and teamwork. The award placed him at the pinnacle of today’s newest Sailors. Dreher is awarded a flag letter of commendation.
Dreher said he was honored and humbled to receive the MEA at the Pass-In-Review ceremony in front of his fellow recruits and family.
“My first reaction was shock to hear I made it into the top three percent of graduating recruits and then chosen for the MEA,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to win the award or do anything above what was asked of us. I did what I was supposed to do, followed instructions, and worked hard every day.”
Dreher credited his Recruit Division Commanders, Chief Quartermaster Keith Schneider Jr., Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 1st Class Alfredo Sosa, and Sonar Technician (Surface) 1st Class Caren Ramirez for their leadership and guidance.
“Chief Schneider played a major role in my success,” Dreher said. “I respect the anchor but I would follow the man in the uniform. He played a big role in my success and was a great leader. He led from place of humility instead of fear, which helped guide my path here at boot camp.”
Dreher said the toughest part of boot camp was being away from his family.
“Knowing that I am missing out on life with them,” he said. “What helped me get through this was writing letters to my family, almost as if I was writing into a diary, sharing with them everything that happened throughout each day. Receiving letters in return from my family at the end of the night gave me something to look forward to and helped me focus on why I’m here.”
After graduation, Dreher will attend apprentice technical training and Electronics Technician ‘A’ School at Great Lakes. Electronics Technicians maintain and repair electronics equipment such as radar, communication and navigation equipment. Electronic Technicians comprise the basis of the ship’s combat systems department aboard ships and are responsible for maintaining the ships’ readiness for combat operations.
Boot camp is approximately eight weeks and all enlistees into the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. Training includes physical fitness, seamanship, firearms, firefighting and shipboard damage control along with lessons in Navy heritage and core values, teamwork and discipline. More than 35,000 recruits are trained annually at RTC and begin their Navy careers.
For more news from Recruit Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/rtc/