page_title: Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois
section_title: Week Seven
hierarchical_section_title: Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois / Training timeline / Week Seven
caption_attribution_description: English: 080111-N-8848T-005 GREAT LAKES, Ill. (Jan. 11, 2008) Vice. Adm. John C. Harvey Jr., Chief of Naval Personnel, and Capt. Annie B. Andrews, commanding officer of Recruit Training Command (RTC), pass in review of five graduating recruit divisions in the USS Midway Ceremonial Drill Hall at RTC at Naval Station Great Lakes. Harvey was the reviewing officer for the ceremony. Harvey also met with local leaders during his two-day visit and took part in an all hands call. U.S. Navy photo by Scott A. Thornbloom (Released)
context_page_description: Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, is a unit within the United States Navy primarily responsible for conducting the initial orientation and indoctrination of incoming recruits. It is part of Naval Service Training Command, and is located at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois.
  RTC Great Lakes is also commonly referred to as boot camp and recruit training, or RTC. Since the BRAC-directed closures of Recruit Training Commands in Orlando, Florida in 1994 and San Diego, California in 1993, RTC Great Lakes has been the only enlisted basic training location in the U.S. Navy and has been called "The Quarterdeck of the Navy" since it was first utilized in July 1911.
  Running at approximately eight weeks long, all enlistees into the U.S. Navy commence their enlistments at this command. Some recruits may take longer than eight weeks if they do not pass certain tests. Upon successful completion of basic training, qualifying sailors are sent to various apprenticeship, or "A schools", located across the United States for training in their occupational speciality, or ratings.
context_section_description: Week Seven is the last week of Navy Basic Training. These seven weeks, combined with Processing Week, make up the approximate eight-week training cycle that each recruit must complete before graduating. Week seven includes a comprehensive test of the material covered by Navy Basic Training in a 12-hour exercise called "Battle Stations". This reinforces much of the instruction learned during Basic Training. Recruits must pass all the requirements of Basic Training to participate in "Battle Stations". Once recruits have successfully completed "Battle Stations" they become Sailors, don their Navy utility cover (also known as the utility cap or eight-point cover) and Pass In Review (PIR) at the USS Midway, Ceremonial Drill Hall. This officially marks the recruit's graduation and entrance into the United States Navy.
caption: A recruit graduation at the USS Midway Ceremonial Drill Hall in January 2008
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