RTC Moves Recruit Initial 14-day ROM out of Fort McCoy

Photo By Chief Petty Officer Dominique Lasco | The last group of U.S. Navy recruits board a bus going to Recruit Training Command (RTC) after completing their restriction of movement (ROM) period at Fort McCoy, a U.S. Army training center in western Wisconsin. These are the last recruits to leave Fort McCoy as RTC closes its ROM operations on the base and moves it back to Great Lakes, Ill. RTC worked with the Army at Fort McCoy since August 2020, hosting an initial 14-day ROM site for Navy recruits to help reduce the risk of bringing the coronavirus to RTC should any individual be infected. More than 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navy’s only boot camp. (U.S. Navy Photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Dominique M. Lasco)  

UNITED STATES

04.30.2021

Story by Chief Petty Officer Brandie Nix 

U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command

After an eight-month joint-service endeavor between Recruit Training Command (RTC) and Fort McCoy, a U.S. Army training center in western Wisconsin, RTC has moved the Navy’s recruit restriction of movement (ROM) site from Fort McCoy back to RTC’s facilities.
Executing ROM at RTC provides leadership more flexibility regarding staff schedules. It also allows augmenting Sailors to return to their parent commands after months of hard work away from their families to support the RTC mission.
Safe completion of ROM is important to the continued flow of personnel through the training pipeline safely and uninterrupted. Shutting down training creates gaps out in the fleet, preventing personnel from transferring from their commands.
After initially using local-area hotels for ROM, RTC directed incoming recruits to Fort McCoy. Since August 2020, nearly 25,000 recruits have begun their Navy career with an initial 14-day ROM at Fort McCoy. RTC began housing incoming recruits on site April 19 for ROM and the last recruits departed Fort McCoy on April 29. RTC plans to complete turning over facilities May 17.
Commander, Naval Education and Training Command Rear Admiral Pete Garvin toured RTC and Fort McCoy in October.
“I cannot thank the team at Fort McCoy enough for being such great partners as we fought to stay on mission in the dynamic pandemic operating environment,” said Garvin. “Without their unwavering support and the fantastic service and sacrifice of individual augmentees alongside our Recruit Division Commanders, the mission of RTC, of the accessions and training pipeline, and the overarching mission of manning the fleet would not have been possible.”
RTC continues to work with medical experts to ensure it can train recruits while preventing the transmission of COVID-19.
“We are grateful to the Fort McCoy Army leadership for their outstanding support that enabled us to achieve our mission,” said Capt. Erik Thors, commanding officer, RTC. “We could not have achieved the same level of success we did without Fort McCoy and multiple Navy commands who provided personnel support.”
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 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navy’s only boot camp.
For more news from Recruit Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/rtc

• Date Taken: 04.30.2021
• Date Posted: 04.30.2021 13:58
• Story ID: 395274
• Location: US