Courtesy Photo | Fireman Guy Daniels was recognized as the top Sailor from Recruit Training Command...... read more read more
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GREAT LAKES (NNS) – Fireman Guy Daniels was recognized as the top Sailor from Recruit Training Command (RTC) Great Lakes, earning the Military Excellence Award (MEA) Dec. 11, 2025.
Daniels, 33, of Madison, Virginia, said receiving the Navy’s highest recruit honor affirmed his decision to pursue military service later in life.
“When I first learned I was ranking near the top of the training group, it felt surreal,” he said. “To then find out I had earned the MEA was deeply meaningful. It validated the leap I took to join the Navy at my age, and it made me proud to show my family that I can add value here. This distinction motivates me to keep raising my own standards as I move forward in my career.”
The Military Excellence Award is presented to the recruit who best demonstrates enthusiasm, devotion to duty, military bearing, and teamwork throughout training. As part of his recognition, Daniels received a flag letter of commendation.
Though joining the Navy was not his first opportunity to serve, Daniels said the path that brought him to enlistment was shaped by decades of searching for a place to belong.
“I spent the first 12 years of my life in Dubai as the child of Sri Lankan immigrants,” he said. “Then my family moved to Canada, where I was grateful for the education and opportunities, but I still struggled to form a strong sense of identity. After moving to the United States, getting married, becoming a father, and making this country my home by choice, the call to serve finally made sense. Enlisting offered stability, community, and a way to embrace the identity I chose for myself and my family.”
Daniels graduated from All Saints Catholic Secondary School in Whitby, Ontario, earning Honor Roll distinction and the Lion’s Club Award. He went on to complete a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at the University of Waterloo and participated in basketball, lifeguarding, swim instruction, and Muay Thai throughout his education.
His Recruit Division Commanders were Chief Hospital Corpsman (HMC) Reyad Ahmed, Cryptologic Technician Maintenance 1st Class (CTM1) Daniel Benevides, and Operations Specialist 2nd Class (OS2) Malinda Jordan. He credits each of them for being a primary source of his motivation.
“HMC Ahmed pushed us with unrelenting expectations, and that forced me to show up at my best every day,” he said. “OS2 Jordan coached and mentored us with so much passion that we couldn’t help but match her effort. CTM1 Benevides raised his expectations every time we improved—he never let us get comfortable.”
For Daniels, the most difficult part of training was being separated from his young family.
“My son just turned nine months old, and I’m very aware of the moments I’m missing,” he said. “But I reminded myself why I enlisted—to become the kind of father I want to be in the long run. The sacrifice now will allow me to serve, provide stability, and build a life for my family in the country we chose together.”
Following graduation, Daniels will attend Gas Turbine System Technician (Electrical) “A” School in Great Lakes, Illinois, for training on mechanical theory, piping systems and equipment, safety precautions, and 3M.
Training at RTC is approximately nine weeks long, and all enlistees in the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. More than 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navy’s only boot camp.
| Date Taken: | 12.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.10.2025 14:59 |
| Story ID: | 553760 |
| Location: | GREAT LAKES, ILLINOIS, US |
| Hometown: | MADISON, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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