Subscribe
Meet Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) Dayne Walton! He’s a Recruit Division Commander (RDC) at Recruit Training Command (RTC), the Navy’s only boot camp.
He was awarded Senior Instructor of the Year at RTC and Senior Enlisted Instructor of the Year at Naval Service Training Command (NSTC).
“I am from Lincoln, Nebraska and I joined the Navy in 2008,” he said. “I joined to serve my Country and to challenge myself”
Walton, along with being an RDC, also works in other aspects for the command. “I am a housing coordinator for RTC and I am a High-Risk Training Safety Administrator (HR-TSA) for all high-risk training divisions.”
Walton’s previous command was the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. He has been assigned to RTC for two years.
“RTC has provided me with everything that I had initially imagined it to be. No doubt it is a challenging billet but if you are willing to put in the work, it can be a rewarding experience.” Walton said. “I enjoy the challenge and structure of the command.”
Becoming an RDC was a goal for Walton ever since he left RTC in 2008.
“Ever since graduating bootcamp, I knew that I wanted to become an RDC,” Walton exclaimed. “One of the most rewarding aspects of being an RDC, is watching your Recruits transform from Civilians to Sailors in a 10-week period.”
It’s been 15 years since Walton went through boot camp as a Recruit, and although a lot has changed, he still remembers the impression that it made.
“My RDC's had a huge impact on me throughout bootcamp, to this day I still remember their names and rates,” Walton added. “Your RDC's are your first impression of what a Sailor is supposed to be. I have never shied away from a challenge and embraced the opportunity to mold the future of the Navy.”
Walton feels that by coming to RTC to be an RDC that he is building upon his foundation as a leader.
“RTC has allowed me the opportunity to grow as a Sailor and take my abilities back to the Fleet,” said Walton. “It feels amazing to be recognized for my abilities, hard work and dedication to excellence, especially at a highly competitive training command such as RTC.”
In his free time Walton likes to travel with his wife Angie, work on cars, and all outdoor activities.
Boot camp is approximately 10 weeks-long and all enlistees in the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. Training includes five warfighting competencies of firefighting, damage control, seamanship, watchstanding, and small arms handling and marksmanship along with physical fitness and lessons in Navy heritage and core values, Warrior Toughness, Life Skills, teamwork, and discipline. More than 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navy’s only boot camp.
| Date Taken: | 01.11.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 01.11.2024 13:09 |
| Story ID: | 461684 |
| Location: | GREAT LAKES, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 619 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Staff in the Spotlight - ABEC Walton, by PO2 Stuart Posada, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
