Bob Currier, Brockport Navy Club Commander and Navy Club USA Commandant, had the rare honor and privilege to serve as a Reviewing Officer for over 850 Sailors graduating Boot Camp at Recruit Training Command (RTC) in Great Lakes, Illinois, on April 24, 2025.
The graduation ceremony represented the culmination of nine weeks of rigorous training that transforms civilians into U.S. Navy Sailors. Reviewing Officers are typically high-ranking military officials whose purpose is to assess the readiness of the Sailors to proceed on to further training and, ultimately, to the ships in the Fleet. As a Navy Retiree with over 20 years of Active Duty, Mr. Currier had a unique qualification to be a Reviewing Officer in that over 50 years ago he stood in their place as a boot camp Sailor at RTC Great Lakes.
Mr. Currier and his wife, Sue, were hosted by the Commanding Officer of RTC Great Lakes, Captain Kenneth Froberg, USN. Captain Froberg, a Navy Pilot, escorted the Curriers throughout the base, presenting different aspects of training that boot camp Sailors undertake. Perhaps the most impressive demonstration was Battle Stations 21, an $80 million life-like Navy Destroyer. Boarding the ship at 8 p.m., the Sailors spend the next 12 hours demonstrating their skill in executing at-sea evolutions and “fighting the ship” in battle scenarios. The next morning, exhausted, wet, and grimy from fighting fires and floodings all night, the Sailors trade in their “RECRUIT” ball cap for the coveted “NAVY” ball cap which designates them as ready for the Fleet…