Photo By Chief Petty Officer William Gaskill | GREAT LAKES, Ill. (Aug. 22, 2025) - Seaman Recruit Elizabeth Bell poses for a photo...... read more read more
Subscribe
GREAT LAKES, Ill. — Most recruits arrive at boot camp with little more than a duffel bag and a dream. Seaman Recruit Elizabeth Bell arrived with more than a decade of experience, two professional licenses, and a calling.
She’s not training to be a gunner’s mate or a traditional corpsman. Bell enlisted through one of the rarest paths in the Navy: Direct Procurement Enlistment Program, specifically to be a mortician under the hospital corpsman rating. Upon completion of Recruit Training Command and Hospital Corps “A” School, Bell is expected to advance to petty officer first class (E-6). It’s a rare promotion for new accessions that reflects both her credentials and the Navy’s critical need for this highly specialized role.
Bell is a licensed funeral director and embalmer who graduated from John A. Gupton College in 2012. She’s spent more than 10 years helping families navigate loss, not just through preparation and planning, but with compassion and care.
“I like helping people, and I recognize how important it is for families to have that time with their loved ones,” Bell said. “The science behind embalming and the transformative process of restoring dignity. Those are things I take pride in.”
She earned her license in two states and became a Certified Crematory Operator through the Cremation Association of North America. But more than technical qualifications, Bell brought with her a code of ethics and presence of mind that made her stand out, both in the civilian world and now in uniform.
“The most meaningful thing for me is when families find peace,” she said. “Even if they’re grieving, I know I helped, whether through preparing their loved one, coordinating details, or just making things a little easier.”
Bell learned about the Navy mortician availability in late 2024 after a friend and colleague encouraged her to explore new opportunities. Information was hard to come by. With persistence and help from a few insiders, including a current Navy mortician, she realized she met all the requirements.
The opportunity was rare, but the stars aligned. She had the licenses, the experience, the flexibility to relocate, and the right timing. She also had a longtime friend, Joe Boundy, a Navy civilian, who immediately saw the potential.
“I saw how hard she worked: long hours, weekends, midnight calls,” Boundy said. “One day I stumbled across a Navy listing for a mortician and thought, what are the chances? I sent it to her, and months later she told me she was working with a recruiter. That’s Elizabeth. She doesn’t talk big; she delivers.”
That recruiter, Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 2nd Class (AZ2) Cain Bean, helped Bell navigate the enlistment process. He coordinated her specialized contract, verified her licensure, and ensured her unique qualifications were appropriately recognized.
“What stood out to me most about SR Bell was her determination and unique background,” Bean said. “Her passion for service, combined with her specialized skills, made her a perfect fit for the Navy. I had previously used the Direct Procurement Enlistment Program to put a musician into the Navy. When I found out the same opportunity existed for morticians (with advancement potential as high as E-6) I thought, what an awesome way for someone to join the Navy.”
Bean continued, “Helping her through the application process was incredibly rewarding, and it was thrilling to see her secure such a vital role. As a recruiter, seeing someone like Bell join under such rare and high-value circumstances fills me with pride. It reaffirms the impact we can make connecting talented individuals to meaningful roles that strengthen our Navy and our nation.”
The enlistment package required letters of recommendation from her funeral industry peers, licensure documentation, and detailed career history. While challenging, Bell said she was reassured once she realized the Navy’s expectations mirrored the professionalism to which she already held herself to.
“I was more at ease once I understood that the military requirements aligned with the state licensure I already had,” she said. “It made me feel like this was something I could do, something I was built for.”
Navy morticians are a small and highly trained community. They are entrusted with preparing fallen service members for burial, coordinating with families, and providing respectful, dignified care during the most difficult moments. Many are assigned to specialized mortuary duty stations, such as Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, Quantico, Virginia or Millington, Tennessee, which is likely where Bell will be assigned after training.
She’s excited about the future, not just to serve, but to grow.
“I’m looking forward to learning more advanced embalming techniques, restorative art, and even working with consulates,” she said. “I want to expand my world and contribute more.”
For Bell, Navy core values aren’t just slogans. They align perfectly with the code she’s already lived by.
“Courage means being open to harder challenges, maybe not the easy path, but one I can be proud of,” she said. “Commitment means placing the needs of the family before myself. Even when I was off the clock, I was still answering calls. My moral compass never takes a day off. It’s just who I am.”
When asked what this role truly means to her, Bell keeps it simple.
“It’s about giving families comfort. Honoring them. It’s about them knowing things will be handled professionally, with care and with dignity, so they can focus on healing and being together.”
While she doesn’t seek attention, Boundy said watching her take this leap has been inspiring.
“I joked with her later, ‘This has been my master plan all along,’” he said. “It’s like something out of Stripes. She’s the kind of person who makes you proud when good things happen to her.”
Navy Recruiting Command consists of a command headquarters, two Navy Recruiting Regions, Navy Recruiting Reserve Command, 26 Navy Talent Acquisition Groups and five Reserve Talent Acquisition Groups that serve more than 970 recruiting stations around the world. Their mission is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.
For more news from Navy Recruiting Command, go to https://www.cnrc.navy.mil. Follow Navy Recruiting on X (@USNRecruiter), Instagram (@USNRecruiter), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/comnavcruitcom), and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/CommanderNavyRecruitingCommand).
| Date Taken: | 08.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.28.2025 15:19 |
| Story ID: | 546764 |
| Location: | GREAT LAKES, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 165 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, From Funeral Director to First Class: A Mortician’s Unlikely Journey into the Navy, by Elijah Leinaar, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
