Sammons Earns Military Excellence Award at Recruit Training Command
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Seaman Noah Sammons graduated as the top Sailor from Recruit Training Command (RTC)......read moreread more
Courtesy Photo | Seaman Noah Sammons graduated as the top Sailor from Recruit Training Command (RTC) Great Lakes, earning the Military Excellence Award (MEA) Aug. 27, 2026. see less
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Sammons Earns Military Excellence Award at Recruit Training Command
GREAT LAKES (NNS) – Seaman Noah Sammons graduated as the top Sailor from Recruit Training Command (RTC) Great Lakes, earning the Military Excellence Award (MEA) Aug. 27, 2026.
Sammons, 18, of Seaford, Delaware, said the honor showed him what he might be capable of, and made clear he hadn't gotten there alone.
"Winning the MEA shows me what I could be capable of in the future, and the keys to getting there," Sammons said. "I don't stand up here alone. This was only possible through the steadfast support and guidance of my RDCs, my shipmates and my family. It motivates me to aim even higher, and it shows me that teamwork, dedication to duty and heart can take you a long way."
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 the recognition, recipients receive a flag letter of commendation.
For Sammons, the decision to enlist came down to a single word.
"I joined the Navy out of love. Love for my country, love for the people in it, love of service and the people who serve," he said. "I believe this is the place I can give the absolute most to my country and my people, both in peacetime and in conflict."
That same instinct shaped the rate he chose. Sammons selected Hospital Corpsman because it puts him where he can do the most good for the people around him.
"I chose the HM rating because I want to help people as much as possible," he said. "This job will give me the chance to develop skills and experience that are invaluable."
At 18, and straight out of Sussex Technical High School, Sammons arrived at RTC better prepared than many of his peers, largely because of a program he'd already spent years in. His time in the Coast Guard Junior ROTC gave him a foundation in drill, seamanship and, most importantly, leadership.
"The drill, the ranks, the seamanship and the confidence go without saying, but having that leadership and team-building experience helped immensely," Sammons said. "I frequently had to work with and manage difficult people in JROTC, and slow down to help them understand something or get through a challenge. Learning how to help where you can, let go of what you can't change and stay cool when things go wrong was a game changer."
Those skills were tested by what he described as the hardest part of boot camp: bringing a group of very different people together under pressure.
"The military brings a lot of diverse people together and puts them under a great deal of stress," Sammons said. "Everyone needs a certain approach to work well with the team, whether that's a slow, kind approach or tough love. You have to understand how people are thinking and step outside your own head to bring the team together."
The steadiest influences on Sammons during training were two recruits who bunked next to him, Airman Apprentice Brandon Dill and Fireman Brent Strauss, both a little older than him.
"They essentially served as mentors and father figures to me during boot camp," Sammons said. "They motivated me through their own dedication to the Navy and helped me understand how to conduct myself as a man and act with honor. They showed me examples of what to do, and sometimes what not to do."
His RDCs, Senior Chief Petty Officer Josephine Tucker, Petty Officer 1st Class David Martinez and Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Wulff, guided the division through each phase of training.
Following graduation, Sammons will report to Hospital Corpsman "A" school in San Antonio, Texas, for training in patient care and first aid procedures.
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.
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