Fleet Master Chief Returns to Boot Camp

Photo By 1st Sgt. Seth D Schaeffer | 170829-N-SL853-004 GREAT LAKES, Il. (August 29, 2017) First class petty officers from various commands throughout the nation participate in a Marlinespike Lab during the Back to Boot Camp program Aug. 29, at Recruit Training Command. The program is a five-day re-indoctrination to basic naval training and standards. Marlinespike lab is hands on training lab that focuses on basic seamanship for line handling, mooring and getting a ship underway, and safety procedures when handling lines. About 30,000-40,000 recruits graduate annually from the Navy's only boot camp. (U.S. Navy photo by Ensign Seth Schaeffer/Released)  

NORTH CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES

09.08.2017

Courtesy Story

U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command

GREAT LAKES (NNS) -- More than 60 chief selects from various commands throughout the nation graduated from the Back to Boot Camp program held from Aug. 28 - Sept. 1, at Recruit Training Command.

This year's program had the honor of hosting Fleet Master Chief Raymond Kemp, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/6th Fleet, who enhanced the experience for mentors, selectees, and chief Recruit Division Commanders coordinating the event.

The Back to Boot Camp program is a five-day re-indoctrination to basic naval training that includes military bearing, attention to detail, drill and uniform inspections, and provides additional focus on scenario-based leadership and mentorship for the selectees.

"The primary objective is to bring the chief selects back to the start of their naval careers and have an opportunity to mentor, train, and establish the requirements for fundamental naval standards," said Senior Chief Yeoman James Jordan, an RDC and program manager for the Back to Boot Camp Program. "How can you expect a chief to establish and maintain standards when they have been detached from the basics since their boot camp graduation? As a result to answer this fundamental question, this program allows chief selects an opportunity to revisit these standards and carry out the charge of setting these standards once they become a chief in a few weeks from now."

During the training, the chief selects conduct evolutions they underwent during initial boot camp including swim qualification, firearm simulations, drill and Marlinespike seamanship. Additionally, they observed damage control and physical fitness assessments at Freedom Hall.

Although the program concentrates on returning to boot camp, throughout the week chief selects participate in Chief Petty Officer 365 Phase II training delivered by the RTC's Chiefs Mess, one of the Navy's largest Chiefs Mess. This training consists of physical training, CPO mess training and daily mentorship. Additionally, they attended Feed my Starving Children, a community relations event in Libertyville. Feed my Starving Children, a non-profit organization founded in 1987, provides nutritionally complete meals specifically formulated for malnourished children.

"I graduated boot camp 31 years ago in August 1986. Participating in this year's Back to Boot Camp program was great to see for myself the level of care displayed by the RDCs, the support team, and leadership toward the recruits," said Kemp. "The thoughtful 'visioneering' of the training process and the development of these processes encourages me and raises my expectation of future Sailors coming to the fleet, fully ready. I am truly appreciative of the opportunity to be part of the program. The time taken to thoughtfully plan out a hard, yet attainable, challenging four-day journey for chief selectees and their sponsors is exciting. I am proud to represent the fleet master chiefs and Navy Europe/Africa this week."

Back to Boot Camp chief selects focus on leadership and have an opportunity to pay the mentorship forward by talking with recruits.

"As a military training instructor returning to RTC, it has been a humbling and awakening experience. It was rewarding being afforded the opportunity to return to the quarterdeck of the Navy," said Gas Turbine Systems (Mechanical) First Class April Byun, Navy Military Training Instructor, Training Support Center, Great Lakes, who will promote to chief this month. "RTC is the foundation for our Sailors. The RDCs display great pride and professionalism our Sailors need to emulate."

Selectees had an opportunity to meet with recruits from rifle divisions 275 and 276 to see firsthand how motivated recruits are with joining the Navy. The recruits were preparing to attend Battle Stations 21 - the final test - and the next morning be capped as U.S. Navy Sailors.

RTC's Command Master Chief Shawn Isbell believes this is an effective program for chief selects to ground themselves to their starting point in their Navy careers focusing on Navy standards, having pride in the Navy, and wearing the uniform.

"RTC is the building block for transforming civilians to U.S. Navy Sailors and the Back to Boot Camp program reminds chief selects where their building blocks started in their naval careers," said Isbell. "The training and mentorship they receive from Fleet Master Chief Kemp and chief sponsors will be an experience of wisdom they will remember for a lifetime and during their final transition from a petty officer to becoming a chief petty officer.

Similar to recruits, the benchmark event to conclude their successful completion of Back to Boot Camp, the chief selects attended BST-21, which is aboard an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the USS Trayer, a 210-foot simulator, the largest in the Navy. Each Chief Select must complete 17 scenarios during a 12-hour overnight period. The scenarios necessitate teamwork to complete events, encompassing firefighting and damage control scenarios. Evolutions also include casualty evacuations; watch standing, loading and unloading supplies and line handling.

At the conclusion of BST-21, recruits don their Navy ball caps for the first time. For chief selects, the RTC's Chiefs Mess and the CMC attend the ceremony, presenting a Back to Boot Camp coin to help symbolize the lessons they learned while at RTC.

"During my stay at RTC, I was continuously reminded of good order and discipline. Each evolution was a test to my character whether it was drilling, uniform inspections or simply answering a question. Although at times I was challenged, the feeling of pride at the end was what I will bring back with me demonstrating the pride to wear the uniform and set the Navy standards wherever you go," said Byun.

Among the chief selects, graduating from Back to Boot Camp this year is Master Sergeant Jennifer Medeiros, U.S. Air Force. In her current duty assignment, she had the opportunity to be among the few service members from other branches to volunteer to participate in the Navy's leadership transformation from the rank of E-6 to E-7 and to be a participant in the Chief Select Season, CPO 365 Phase II.

"To be a part of the Chiefs Mess is to be a part of a brother and sisterhood that is much deeper and bigger than most ever come to know," Medeiros said. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that has catapulted me into an evolution that has challenged everything I thought I was doing right and changed the way I view leadership and what if means to carry the weight of that leadership. In order to grasp just a fraction of what it means to be a part of the world's greatest fraternity, you must first engulf yourself in its history, traditions and heritages."

Kemp summarized the Back to Boot Camp experience.

"When the selects graduate from Back to Boot Camp will reflect on what they have learned in the power of teamwork, relying on your brothers and sisters, and returning to the basics of setting the standards," Kemp said. "They will leave, return to their commands with a reinvigorated sense of Navy pride, self-confidence, and toughness. As I participated during the event, I had my own memories of my times spent in the Navy and RTC personally has reminded me why I am so proud to be a United States Sailor."

As Isbell looks ahead to next year, he can vision the program to continue growing and the implementation of the naval message enhances the participation from other commands through the nation.

RTC Great Lakes is the Navy's only basic training location and is known as "The Quarterdeck of the Navy." Today, between 30,000-40,000 recruits graduate annually from RTC and begin their Navy careers.


For more news from Recruit Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/rtc/.

• Date Taken: 09.08.2017
• Date Posted: 09.21.2018 09:29
• Story ID: 293892
• Location: NORTH CHICAGO, IL, US