Honor Recruits and Award Winners

AWARD WINNERS

The Award Winners will be posted on the RTC website two days prior to PIR and will be recognized at PIR. If your recruit has been chosen for one of these awards, then about 1-2 weeks before PIR, you will receive a letter informing you of this and letting you know of other special events will occur on the day of PIR in recognition of the award. You can also print out the Graduation Program through a link on the RTC website beginning two days before PIR (click the link under the heading, "Recruit Graduation Award Winner Certificate"); you must do so before the next week's program is posted, usually two days prior to PIR. (If you go to the site after that, then click on the link and change the date to the date for the PIR you want using a three letter abbreviation for the month.) If a recruit who was chosen as an award winner does not have PIR as scheduled, then that recruit will not receive the award and another recruit will be chosen for the award. In that case, the family of the replacement award winner will be informed as soon as the change is made, which could be two days before PIR.

Each Award Winner will receive a commemorative token from the commanding officer in recognition of their superlative achievements during recruit training.

At each Pass-In-Review, the six recipients of awards will be announced. The Award Winners are chosen among recruits who go before a board of RTC personnel for inspection and questions. RTC sends a letter to a recruit's home of record to inform families that their recruit has earned an award and received special recognition at graduation.

The following is a description of the six awards:

NAVY CLUB OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY EXCELLENCE AWARD: Presented to the graduating recruit who best exemplifies the qualities of enthusiasm, devotion to duty, military appearance and behavior, self-discipline and teamwork. This is the #1 award a recruit can earn.

NAVY LEAGUE AWARD: Presented to the graduating recruit whose enthusiasm, supportive attitude, and willingness to help others during their training period exceeded Navy training standards.

MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA AWARD: Presented to the graduating recruit whose meritorious performance in recruit training demonstrated exceptional professionalism, maturity, integrity and leadership.

MILITARY ORDER OF THE WORLD WARS AWARD OF MERIT: Presented to the graduating recruit whose meritorious performance in recruit training demonstrated motivation and dedication to duty.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD: Presented to the graduating recruit who maintained the highest academic and assessment standards throughout all phases of training. Awarded after closeout of test two.

UNITED SERVICES ORGANIZATION SHIPMATE AWARD: Presented to the graduating recruit whose enthusiasm, supportive attitude and willingness to help others during their training period exceeded Navy training standards.

The above is based on information available at https://www.facebook.com/NavyRecruitTrainingCommand and http://www.bootcamp.navy.mil/honor_grads.html.

If your recruit/Sailor is the recipient of one of the above, there is a local base paper called the Great Lakes Bulletin that prints the photos of the recipients each week along with the award they have received. You will receive a copy on the day of PIR during the briefing prior to the graduation ceremony. You will want to keep this as a memento that you can frame or put in a scrapbook.

If you need additional copies, the Great Lakes Bulletin is available at various locations around the base, including the NEX on both RTC and the main part of Naval Station Great Lakes and the mini mart, and are free for anyone to take. Remember to look for one before you leave after PIR or have your Sailor get you one and mail it to you if s/he is in it. 

For further information, contact the Bulletin staff at (847) 688-4808.

Great Lakes Bulletin
Naval Station Great Lakes
2601E Paul Jones Street
Great Lakes IL 60088-5000

http://www.navyformoms.com/group/pirreferenceinformation/forum/topics/honor-grad-award-winner-seating-advice gives additional information that you will want to keep in mind on the day of PIR.

A letter is sent to the family member of each of the Award Winners so that it arrives about 2 weeks before PIR so they can make arrangements to be there. If two days before PIR one or more of those selected is found not be be having PIR, another recruit is selected and the family is notified at that time. If your Sailor is the recipient of one of the awards, you will be seated in a reserved section in the bleachers and will be ushered out to a private reception shortly before Liberty is called. The guests that the Sailor listed on the Access List are able to attend the reception. You will receive the information on that in the letter and the briefing before PIR. Some have indicated that they did not have a good view from this area, so you may want to have someone who is seated closer to the division take pictures for you.

HONOR RECRUITS (Sometimes referred to as HONOR GRADUATES)

Up to three percent of the graduating Sailors will be recognized for their superb performance during basic military training.

Beginning with the 08/21/2015 PIR date, Honor Recruits began receiving the Navy Basic Military Training Honor Graduate ribbon. See http://www.navytimes.com/story/military/careers/navy/2015/08/19/new-ribbon-unveiled-navy-boot-camps-best-honor-graduate/32013881/.There is no special seating or reception for the loved ones of the Honor Graduates unless the recipient is also an award winner, which sometimes happens.

RTC Flags

Divisions performing above standard throughout the eight weeks of boot camp are awarded recognition flags in four mission areas: academic achievement, weapons and military drill, compartment readiness and physical fitness. 

These flags are carried as a visible symbol of the division's performance and success. Each flag indicates that recruits individually and as teams met established standards in mission area events. Competition encourages teamwork, attention to detail and develops pride in achievement. 

Each test, physical or drill assessment, or inspection at RTC has a possible score of 5.0 for each recruit and the entire division.

Battle "E" Flag: A training group that excels in every phase of training and has an overall average of 4.35 or higher qualifies for the Battle Efficiency "Honor Training Group" recognition and is awarded the Battle "E" honor flag for this exemplary achievement. (See http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=91255.) 

Compartment Readiness (STAR) Flag: Awarded for obtaining a 4.0 average in compartment cleanliness, locker inspections and bunk make up inspections.  

Drill Flag: Awarded for receiving a 4.0 or higher on the drill assessment.

Physical Fitness or Athletics (A) Flag: Awarded for receiving a 3.50 on the first physical assessment and a 4.0 or higher on the second assessment.

Scholastic (S) Flag: Awarded to divisions which receive a minimum of 4.0 on the academic test.

Captain's Cup Olympics Flag: Awarded to the division that wins the most events during Olympic Competition. There will be one for the all male division and one for the integrated division that won the Captain's Cup Competition on the Saturday before PIR.

Pennants

The top scoring division will receive a gold pennant and the division with the second highest score will receive a blue pennant.

The final award a division can earn is the pennant for earning the highest score during Battle Stations-21 (BST). 

Other Flags

Special Flags: Carried by ceremonial units (900's) or sponsored divisions.

Personal Flag: Flag which is designed by the division.

Posted by lemonelephant, the mom of a retired Sailor.

Updated 01/20/2019