Naval Station Great Lakes Naval Station Great Lakes ( NAVSTA Great Lakes ) is the home of the United States Navy ' s only boot camp , located near North Chicago , in Lake County , Illinois . Important tenant commands include the Recruit Training Command , Training Support Center and Navy Recruiting District Chicago . Naval Station Great Lakes is the second largest military installation in Illinois and the largest training station in the Navy . The base has 1 , 153 buildings situated on and has of roadway to provide access to the base ' s facilities . Within the naval service , it has several different nicknames , including " " The Quarterdeck of the Navy " " , or the more derogatory " " Great Mistakes " " . The original 39 buildings built between 1905 and 1911 were designed by Jarvis Hunt . The base is like a small city , with its own fire department , Naval Security Force , and public works department . One of the landmarks of the area is Building 1 , also known as the clocktower building . Completed in 1911 , the building is made of red brick , and has a tower that stands 300 feet over the third floor of the building . The large parade ground in front of the administration building is named Ross Field . Major Tenant Commands . Recruit Training Command . In 1996 , RTC Great Lakes became the Navy ' s only basic training facility . The Base Realignment and Closure Commission of 1993 resulted in the closure of Naval Training Center San Diego , California and Naval Training Center Orlando , Florida , their associated Recruit Training Commands , and the consolidation of US Navy enlisted recruit training to Great Lakes . Approximately 40 , 000 recruits pass through Recruit Training Command annually with an estimated 7 , 000 recruits on board the installation at any time . RTC Great Lakes has been active for over 100 years . Training Support Center . TSC Great Lakes is the Navy ' s premier technical training command . It has an annual throughput of 16 , 000 sailors a year . TSC supports the following six learning sites : The following rating training class A - schools are located at Naval Station Great Lakes : Culinary Specialist ( CS ) A - school was also taught at TSC Great Lakes until December 10 , 2010 , when the school graduated its final class . The course has been consolidated with the US Army ' s parallel program and relocated to Fort Lee , Virginia . Hospital Corpsman ( HM ) " A " School has been moved out of Great Lakes . The last class graduated on July 27 , 2011 . Its last class was Class 11 - 125 . The school has relocated to the Medical Education and Training Campus at Fort Sam Houston , Joint Base San Antonio , Texas . This change has merged Air Force , Army , and Navy Medical staff to a centralized location . In addition , all Navy rates that require basic electrical knowledge and troubleshooting training complete Apprentice Technical Training ( ATT ) school . This includes the Mineman ( MN ) and Sonar Technician ( Surface ) ( STG ) rates , as well as some aviation rates prior to detachment to their respective school locations in San Diego , CA and Pensacola , FL . Boatswain ' s Mates complete Surface Common Core ( SCC ) Basic Maintenance Training and engineering rates complete Basic Engineering Common Core ( BECC ) History . Base Realignment and Closure of 2005 . Despite issuance of the Base Realignment and Closure ( BRAC ) list in 2005 , Naval Station Great Lakes and RTC ( Recruit Training Command — the Boot Camp portion ) are not slated for closing . Almost $ 800 million has been invested in building new barracks ( " ships " ) , Battle Stations 21 , as well as numerous upgrades around the base , including a non - denominational chapel , and reception center for civilian families . It is the United States Navy ' s only boot camp facility . Approximately 40 , 000 recruits pass through RTC annually with up to 7 , 000 enrolled at the installation at any time . Geographically , the station separates the affluent North Shore from the more industrial Waukegan / North Chicago area , the latter now announcing numerous redevelopments across their span for strip malls and New Urban residency communities . The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Great Lakes Naval Training Station historic district in 1986 covering , 43 buildings , 14 structures , and six objects . Museum . On or near the base is the Great Lakes Naval Museum , one of fifteen official U . S . Navy museums . Movie . Scenes of the training center are shown in the 1944 movie The Navy Way .