RTC Committed to Recruits' Spiritual Health

By Brian Walsh, Recruit Training Command Public Affairs

GREAT LAKES, Ill. (NNS) -- Recruits going through boot camp at Recruit Training Command (RTC) are bound to a strict training schedule that allows for little personal time. Within that personal time, however, Chaplain Services are busy ensuring that every recruit can practice their faith.

Worship services at Blue Jacket Memorial Chapel are held from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon and for holy days of obligation. RTC does not schedule training on Sunday mornings so that each recruit has the opportunity to worship in his or her own tradition.

Approximately 25 services are held each week for numerous religious faiths including Muslim, Jewish, Seventh Day Adventist, Catholic, Protestant, Baha'i Faith, and Latter Day Saints.

"While briefing new recruits during in-processing days about religious services, I explain to them the golden opportunity they have," Lt. Cmdr. Charles Johnson, Catholic Chaplain, said. "If they are interested, they can experience other religions and beliefs."

There are very few commands in the Navy where large numbers of services are offered. While a recruit is in training, they must remain on base, and they do not have the opportunity to travel to places of worship outside the gates. Therefore, RTC must offer a large variety of religious services to meet the spiritual needs of recruits. RTC remains unique in this way from the fleet.

"Our goal is slightly different than the fleet because of the age group we are working with," said Lt. j.g. Emily Rosenzweig, Jewish Chaplain. "In some cases recruits have had no exposure to spiritual growth; parents never brought them to church. For others, this may be the first time they experience other faith groups, or experiencing people for whom faith is a central part of their life."

According to Rosenzweig, about half of the recruits that attend Shabbat evening services are non-Jewish.

"Recruits attend the service for many reasons," she said. "They may be curious, or they grew up hearing about people of Israel and now this is their first chance to come to a service, or they are friends with a Jewish recruit and they come with them."

"We receive about 30 to 50 recruits a week for worship," said Lt. j.g. Wade Hammond, RTC chaplain. "Recruits come in interested in learning more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; obviously we are very careful not to proselytize, but we are always happy to answer their questions."

Within the limitations of boot camp, Chaplain Services welcomes the recruits and feels it is healthy for people to explore.

Seaman Recruit Auston Norris, 24, from Ocala, Fla., follows no particular religion but took time out to experience the services at the Chapel.

"I went to the Buddhist service," said Norris. "I learned about the religion and the history of the religion. It was very informative and nice to experience. I regret not going to other religious services offered so that I can learn a bit from every religion."

To accomplish the mission of serving recruits' spiritual needs, RTC is manned by Chaplains of different faith traditions and lay leaders approved by the commanding officer to provide for the widest selection of worship services possible.

"The command goes out of the way to make sure there are enough lay leaders and non-Chaplin clergy to help and assist," said Johnson.

If there is not a Chaplain on staff for a particular faith, and lay leaders cannot be found, a reflection service is held for recruits to worship.

Seaman Recruit Cole Marxen, 19, from Alpha, Ill., believes that being able to attend Catholic services has helped recharge his spiritual self and motivated him through training.

"It is a welcomed embrace being able to attend services in boot camp," said Marxen. "It is good to spend time with the Lord without all the stresses that come with boot camp and it is very nice to take time out to do something that I am familiar with."

Still, the main focus of boot camp is to supply the fleet with top-quality basically trained Sailors. Although all efforts are made to accommodate the spiritual needs of the recruits, the time spent and rigors of training prevent some observances from being accommodated. Recruits cannot fast and kosher meals are not readily served. Sometimes timing of an observance can be adjusted to accommodate training, but that cannot always be accomplished.

The ultimate goal of pastoral services is to assist each recruit in worshiping in their own way.

"If I can help a Catholic recruit be a better Catholic after they spoke with me then I have done a good job," said Hammond.

"After explaining to a Muslim that they may not be able to pray five times a day like they did at home, but we are going to accommodate morning and evening prayer, I can then help that recruit cope with and understand that during midday prayer that instead of having an alone place to kneel down and pray maybe that prayer can be in their heart. If that recruit leaves boot camp more committed to their values than when they came in I have done a good job as a chaplain," he said.

Recruit Training Command, located at Naval Station Great Lakes, trains over 37,000 volunteer civilian recruits annually, transforming them into basically trained Sailors.