GREAT LAKES (NNS) — Seaman Recruit Jose Uriarte III, Division 038, graduated as the top sailor from Recruit Training Command (RTC), earning the Navy Club of the United States Military Excellence Award (MEA) January 17.
“The challenges I faced while growing up prevented me from pursuing my goal, until now,” Uriarte said. “With my wife’s support, I was able to enlist and accomplish my 20-year-old goal.”
Uriarte, 35, is a 2002 graduate of Delta High School in Santa Maria, California, where he played football and earned an academic scholarship. He was employed as the manager of two real estate offices. Uriarte and his wife, Cecilia, are the parents of Eva, 5, and Adan, 3.
Uriarte is assigned the rate of master-at-arms.
The MEA 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. Uriarte is awarded a flag letter of commendation.
Uriarte said being selected for the MEA is an encouraging start to his Navy career.
“Winning the Military Excellence Award affirms the reason why I joined the Navy,” he said. “With every goal I have, I apply two characteristics. First, perfection, and second, excellence. Because of the high standard these characteristics place on my work ethic, I’m greatly appreciative of the accomplishment of winning this award.”
Uriarte credited his recruit division commanders (RDC), Chief Electronics Technician Brian Luther, Construction Electrician 1st Class Jason Vandewalker, and Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Jasmine Sparks for the guidance and leadership.
A supportive family provided Uriarte with motivation throughout boot camp.
“When I received my first letter from home, my daughter, Eva, had written to me that she was praying that I would ‘finish at the top,’” Uriarte said. “As I thought about her prayer daily, I applied every effort possible to do my best in every inspection, test and duty I had at boot camp.”
The toughest part of Uriarte’s boot camp experience was learning to communicate with shipmates and RDCs.
“The majority of recruits are teenagers,” he said. “I had to convey any direction, advice or opinion in a manner that they would understand and in return I would earn their respect. Regarding the RDCs, I had to show them that I had the military bearing and intellectual aptitude to accomplish the tasks they have entrusted me with.”
After graduation, Uriarte will attend Master-At-Arms “A” School in San Antonio, Texas. The master-at-arms' rating is the Navy's military police force. Masters-at-arms make sure the Navy's regulations are enforced. They provide the Navy with security specialists, who perform force protection, anti-terrorism, physical security, and law enforcement duties on land and at sea.
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/