Sailors are some of the most highly trained people on the planet, according to U.S. Navy officials. At Recruit Training Command (RTC), otherwise known as “boot camp,” these skills are taught by hard-charging, Navy professionals who transform civilians into disciplined, qualified Navy sailors.

Airman Jerry Williams, a native of Syracuse, recently graduated from RTC, and will be learning the necessary skills needed to be an effective sailor in the fleet. As an airman, he is responsible for professional ground and flight-deck duties in the takeoff and landing of aircraft.

Williams, a 2008 Henninger High School graduate, joined the Navy less than a year ago.

“I joined the Navy to give my kids, my wife, and myself educational opportunities,” said Williams. “It’s given me a better understanding of my grandfather, and how hard he worked and what it took for him to get there.”

According to Williams, the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Syracuse.

“My hometown taught me to always work hard, know your value, and always empower others,” he said. “Don’t look at life as problems, but solutions. Just love, laugh, and see the beauty in everything and you’ll be all right.”

After “boot camp,” students attend advanced technical schools, where they are taught the basic technical knowledge and skills required to be successful in their new careers.

In 1994, RTC Great Lakes became the Navy’s only recruit-training facility. The mission of RTC is to transform civilians into smartly disciplined, physically fit, basically trained sailors who are ready for follow-on training and service to the fleet while instilling in them the highest standards of honor, courage, and commitment.

Recruit training involves a change in the mental and physical capacity of the new recruit, according to Navy officials. From the first day at RTC through graduation day when new sailors board the bus to depart, recruits find themselves in a whirl of activity. All recruits entering the Navy today will remember RTC as their introduction to Navy life.

Boot camp lasts about eight weeks and all enlistees into the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. Their basic-training curriculum is comprised of five core competencies: firefighting & damage control, seamanship, watch standing, and physical fitness. Through a hands-on learning approach, recruits “train how they fight” and receive critical warfighting skills during the sailor-development process. The command consists of more than 1,100 staff members, with an average of 6,000 recruits in training at any time.

With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber-optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the U.S. is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.

Serving in the Navy means Williams is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances, and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.

“The Navy protects everything that we hold true and dear to us,” said Williams. “It’s about protecting our traditions, values and our way of life.”

As Williams and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the U.S. Navy.

“Serving in the Navy means that I have equal opportunity to show and improve myself to be great,” he added. “It’s about having a connection with people from other walks of life.”