Naval Station Great Lakes (NAVSTA Great Lakes) is the home of the United States Navy's only current boot camp, located near North Chicago, in Lake County, Illinois, along Lake Michigan. Important tenant commands include Naval Service Training Command, Recruit Training Command, Training Support Center Great Lakes, United States Military Entrance Processing Command and Navy Talent Acquisition Group Great Lakes. Naval Station Great Lakes is the largest military installation in Illinois and the largest training station in the Navy. The base has 1,153 buildings situated on and has of roadway to provide access to the base's facilities. Within the naval service, it has several different nicknames, including "The Quarterdeck of the Navy". It is also referred to as "second boot camp" for those attending Training Support Command.

The original 39 buildings built between 1905 and 1911 were designed by Jarvis Hunt."Jarvis Hunt Buildings". math.uic.edu. Retrieved July 13, 2008.

The base functions similarly to a small city, with its own fire department, Naval Security Forces (Police), and public works department.

One of the landmarks of the area is Building 1, also known as the clocktower building. Completed in 1911, the building is made of red brick, and has a tower over the third floor of the building. It faces a large ceremonial parade ground, Ross Field.

Major tenant commands

Naval Service Training Command

Naval Service Training Command (NSTC) is a one-star echelon III command that is responsible to the Chief of Naval Education and Training for the indoctrination and training of all new accessions into the Naval Service, with the exception of Midshipmen who access through the United States Naval Academy. This includes all new recruits through Recruit Training Command, the Navy's only enlisted recruit training location and all Officer "Candidates" who are seeking a commission through the Officer Training Command at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island. Also under its purview is the operation of the various Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) units in universities across the country.

Recruit Training Command

In 1996, RTC Great Lakes became the Navy's only basic training facility. The Base Realignment and Closure Commission of 1993 resulted in the closure of Naval Training Center San Diego, California and Naval Training Center Orlando, Florida, their associated Recruit Training Commands, and the consolidation of US Navy enlisted recruit training to Great Lakes. Approximately 40,000 recruits pass through Recruit Training Command annually with an estimated 7,000 recruits on board the installation at any time. RTC Great Lakes has been active for over 100 years.

Training Support Center Great Lakes TSC Great Lakes is the Navy's premier technical training command. It has an annual throughput of 16,000 Sailors. TSC supports the following six learning sites:

Surface Combat Systems Training Command (SCSTC) Great Lakes Surface Warfare Engineering School Command (SWESC) Great Lakes Center for Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Diving Detachment Great Lakes (CENEODDIVE DET GLKS) Center for Naval Leadership (CNL) Center for Personal Development (CPD) Center for Service Support (CSS)

The following rating training class A-schools are located at Naval Station Great Lakes:

Electrician's mate (EM) Electronics Technician (ET) Fire Controlman (FC) Gunner's mate (GM) Interior Communications Electrician (IC) Boatswain's mate (BM) Operations Specialist (OS) Hull Maintenance Technician (HT) Damage Controlman (DC) Engineman (EN) Gas Turbine System Technician (Electrical) (GSE) Gas Turbine System Technician (Mechanical) (GSM) Machinery Repairman (MR) Quartermaster (QM) Machinist's mate (MM)

Culinary Specialist (CS) A-school was also taught at TSC Great Lakes until December 10, 2010, when the school graduated its final class. The course has been consolidated with the US Army's parallel program and relocated to Fort Lee, Virginia.

Hospital Corpsman (HM) "A" School has been moved out of Great Lakes. The last class graduated on July 27, 2011. Its last class was Class 11–125. The school has relocated to the Medical Education and Training Campus at Fort Sam Houston, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. This change has merged Air Force, Army, and Navy Medical staff to a centralized location.

In addition, all Navy rates that require basic electrical knowledge and troubleshooting training complete Apprentice Technical Training (ATT) school. This includes the Mineman (MN) and Sonar Technician (Surface) (STG) rates, as well as some aviation rates prior to detachment to their respective school locations in San Diego, CA and Pensacola, Florida. Boatswain's Mates complete Surface Common Core (SCC) Basic Maintenance Training and engineering rates complete Basic Engineering Common Core (BECC).

Navy Reserve Region Readiness and Mobilization Command Great Lakes Formerly Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Reserve Component Command (NRMA RCC), Navy Reserve Region Readiness and Mobilization Command (REDCOM) Great Lakes oversees multiple Navy Reserve Centers across several states. It delivers administrative support, training, and management to generate mobilization readiness for regional reserve personnel.

Navy Talent Acquisition Group Great Lakes Formerly Navy Recruiting District (NRD) Chicago, Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Great Lakes supports Navy is a subordinate command of Navy Recruiting Command. It supports more than 30 recruiting stations across Northern Illinois, Northwest Indiana, Eastern Wisconsin, and the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The command consists of more than 170 recruiters, support staff, and civilians. They are dedicated to finding the next generation of Sailors through enlisted and officer programs to serve in the United States Navy. NTAG Great Lakes also supports two Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) in Chicago and Milwaukee.

Navy Band Great Lakes

Established in 1911 and based on board Naval Station Great Lakes, Navy Band Great Lakes is one of 11 official U.S. Navy bands worldwide. Under the operational command of Commander, Naval Service Training Command, “Americas Band” serves as the Navy’s musical ambassadors to the Midwest and inspires patriotism, elevates esprit de corps, enhances Navy awareness and public relations, supports recruiting and retention efforts, preserves the nation’s musical heritage, and projects a positive image of the Navy.

United States Military Entrance Processing Command

The United States Military Entrance Processing Command (USMEPCOM or MEPCOM) is a major command of the U.S. Department of Defense. The organization screens and processes enlisted recruits into the U.S. Armed Forces in the 65 Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) it operates throughout the United States.

3rd Reserve Officers' Training Corps Brigade

The 3rd Reserve Officers' Training Corps Brigade is an Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps brigade based at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Illinois. It oversees college and university ROTC programs across nine Midwestern states: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, and Wisconsin.

Chicago Recruiting Battalion The Chicago Recruiting Battalion is part of the 3rd Recruiting Brigade of the United States Army Recruiting Command (USAREC). The battalion is responsible for recruiting qualified personnel for service in both the Regular Army and the United States Army Reserve.

Through community outreach, professional development, and support for its personnel and their families, the Chicago Recruiting Battalion seeks to contribute to the Army's overall recruiting mission while maintaining a positive and professional working environment.

9th Marine Corps District 9th Marine Corps District (9MCD) is responsible for Marine Corps officer and enlisted recruiting across 19 states – Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming, an area spanning more than 1.3 million square miles. A total of 875 U.S. Marines, Sailors and civilians serve throughout the district, working daily within their local communities, municipalities and schools to identify and prepare the next generation of Marines.

Marine Air Control Group 48

Marine Air Control Group 48 (MACG-48) is a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control unit based at Naval Station Great Lakes that is currently composed of 4 squadrons that provide the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing and Marine Forces Reserve with a tactical headquarters, positive and procedural control of aircraft, air defense and aviation command and control.

History Great Lakes was approved in 1904 by Theodore Roosevelt. Construction was supervised by Navy Captain Albert R. Ross. Chicago-area architect Jarvis Hunt designed the original 39 buildings and Lt. George A. McKay was the civil engineer for the construction on the wilderness location; $3.5 million ‎($ today) was appropriated to finance construction. President William Howard Taft dedicated the Naval Training Station in 1911. On 3 July 1911, Joseph Gregg was the first recruit to arrive. He would graduate in the first class of 300. Fifty-five years later, he was buried at the Naval Station Cemetery 5 July 1966.

Legendary band leader and march composer John Philip Sousa was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Navy during World War I. He led the Great Lakes Naval Station Band from mid-1917 until shortly after the Armistice was implemented in November 1918. Great Lakes also had a Radio School including two towers constructed in 1915. From 1911 to 1916 around 2,000 recruits a year were trained at Great Lakes.

World War I

At the start of 1917, just prior to the United States entry to World War I, Great Lakes was under the command of Captain William A. Moffett and had 39 permanent brick buildings, over , and about 1,500 Sailors. At the close of the war, there were 776 buildings, with and about 45,000 Sailors in training; 125,000 had been trained at Great Lakes during the war.

Interwar period In 1923, Naval Reserve Air Base, Great Lakes was commissioned. Recruit training slowed after the war and halted in 1933. In 1932, Great Lakes had 102 buildings on . A port was constructed around that time at a cost of $1 million ($ today).

On 1 July 1933, Great Lakes was closed and placed in a maintenance status. It was reopened 1 July 1935 after lobbying by local businessmen and the Congressional Delegation from Illinois. In 1936, aviation training was moved from Great Lakes to Naval Air Station Glenview.

On 9 December 1940, the Class A Service School opened for its first class.

World War II

On 7 December 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan, and around 6,000 sailors were training at Great Lakes. This grew to 68,000 in six months; by September 1942, over 100,000 Sailors were training at Great Lakes. The base grew to in the next 10 months. By mid-1943, there were over 700 instructors at the Class A service schools.

The Navy selected Great Lakes to be the site of the first African American trainees. On 5 June 1942, Doreston Luke Carmen of Galveston, Texas was the first recruit to enter the segregated training facility at Camp Robert Smalls. In September 1942, segregated "Negro Service Schools" were opened. The policy of segregation led to small service school classes with only four or five students in a class. By 1944 Great Lakes began to integrate training and all training was integrated by mid-1945. The Golden Thirteen were commissioned in March 1944 after training at Great Lakes.

Four million served on active duty in the Navy during World War II. Over one million Sailors were trained at Great Lakes.

1946 to 1960