Naval Station Great Lakes

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Naval Station Great Lakes is the United States Navy's Headquarters Command for training issues, located in North Chicago, Illinois. Important tenant commands include the Recruit Training Center (Basic Training), the Naval Hospital, and the Naval District Headquarters. It is also the home for Marine Air Control Group 48, and its subordinate commands, Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 48 & Marine Communications Squadron 48, all components of the 4th Marine Division. Founded in 1911, it has trained and sent to the fleet more than two million new sailors through its Recruit Training Command and nearly an equal number from its technical schools.

The Navy's basic training is not called basic training, but Boot Camp, as is the U.S. Marine Corps (due to the Marine Corps' use of much more Naval Jargon). Only the Air Force and Army refer to it as basic training.

The U.S. Navy boot camp take approximately 9 weeks to complete. The precise time it takes to complete naval boot camp depends on a few factors; Chiefly the amount of time it takes a recruit to go through processing which takes up to 10 days. Though it may take up to 10 days to be processed this does not count against a recruits designated 8 weeks. After your last day of processing is when a recruits time starts getting "counted". On you "first" day your start keeping track of your time by week number and day number. For example day one would be 1-1, and the beginning of your second week would be 2-1, and the way up to your graduation day which is 8-7.

Most sailors leave boot camp with the rank of E-1 or Seaman Recruit, however, meeting certain criteria it is possible to enter boot camp as an E-3 or Seaman. One way of acquiring the rank of E-2 or Seaman Apprentice before you enter bootcamp is by recruiting no less than 4 people to successfully sign up for the Navy's DEP or Delayed Enlistment Program. Another way to accomplish this is to pass a naval knowledge test that includes the ability to recite Phonetic Alphabet, The 11 General Orders of Sentry (Navy Version) in any order, knowing the Sailors Creed, and Having a good knowledge of Naval rank and recognition. While it's possible to attain the rank of E-3 you cannot combine the aforementioned to obtain that rank. In order to obtain the rank of E-3 you must have no less than 2,000 hours enrolled at a University or Technical College. There are some more rare exceptions to those listed above such a exemplary performance in bootcamp, or having training in an ROTC program.

Also, Great Lakes NTC (Naval Training Command) and RTC (Recruit Training Command - the Boot Camp portion) are not in danger of closing. Several hundred million dollars have been invested in building new barracks ("ships"), a $72,000,000 training facility, as well as numerous upgrades around the base. It is the United States Navy's only boot camp facility. Great Lakes Naval Recruit Training Command (RTC) in Illinois is the central processing location for Naval recruits. Approximately 50,000 recruits pass through Great Lakes RTC annually with up to 25,000 recruits onboard 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.