GREAT LAKES (NNS) — Seaman Recruit Bryan Wallace, Division 031, graduated as the top sailor from Recruit Training Command (RTC), earning the Navy Club of the United States Military Excellence Award (MEA) January 10.
“I joined to serve and protect those who cannot protect themselves and to continue the tradition of service in my family, which includes my father, retired Commander Ken Wallace.”
Wallace, 22, is a 2015 graduate of Aledo High School in Aledo, Texas, where he was a member of the National Honor Society and baseball team. In 2019, Wallace earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. He was employed as an emergency medical technician in Pecan Plantation, Texas.
Wallace is assigned the rate of hospital corpsman.
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. Wallace is awarded a flag letter of commendation.
Wallace said the support he received from his shipmates was vital to him winning the MEA.
“I was genuinely surprised to be selected, but winning the MEA is the result of having a solid division that always supports one another,” Wallace said.
Wallace thanked his Recruit Division Commanders (RDCs), Chief Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) James Agee, Electronics Technician (Submarine Navigation) 1st Class John Eberle, and Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class Hayden Shrewsbury for their leadership and guidance.
“All of my RDCs played a significant role throughout boot camp,” Wallace said. “Their high standards and different styles of leadership blended well together. Additionally, Seaman Recruit James Santos and Seaman Recruit Cade Bates motivated me by always putting their shipmates before themselves.”
Making the transition from civilian to sailor was the toughest part of boot camp, according to Wallace.
“You’re leaving your family behind and making a new family of shipmates,” he said. “Being real and genuine with one another significantly helped our division.”
After graduation, Wallace will attend Hospital Corpsman “A” School in Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, where he will learn basic principles and techniques of patient care and first-aid procedures. After completion of “A” School, Wallace will receive additional training as part of the advanced technical field program in one of three fields – Search and Rescue Medical Technician, Marine Recon Independent Duty Corpsman or Medical Deep Sea Diving Technician.
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/