Welcome To

Great Lakes

 Recruit Training Command

 Recruit Training Family Support Page.

This page will answer most questions that arise.

Welcome to Recruit Training Command! We understand the beaming pride and anxious uncertainty you feel about your son or daughter, husband or wife, brother, sister or friend joining the world's finest Navy. As your loved ones make the arduous journey from civilian to Sailor we would like you to know that we are committed to help them discover things about themselves that they never knew existed that will make this journey possible. We would also like to do everything possible to make your visit with us the enjoyable, proud, and awe-inspiring event that a recruit graduation should be.

Here gathered is all of the necessary information you will need for your visit to Recruit Training Command in one convenient site. We have also included a list of frequently asked questions. If you still have any questions about recruit training, the base, or graduation events please feel free to make contact at rtc.pao@navy.mil. Welcome Aboard

The following are actual questions and responses forwarded through the Great Lakes Home Page. RTC Great Lakes does not speak for the entire Navy. For general questions about the U.S. Navy, go to the official U.S. Navy web site at www.navy.mil. If you still have a question that was not resolved here contact the RTC public affairs office at rtc.pao@navy.mil.

Contacting Recruits

I was just curious if there is an electronic mail delivery system setup for the recruits at Great Lakes. I think this would be a great way for relatives to send mail to their family. I guess it would probably be an administrative nightmare to maintain. 

The Navy does not provide personal e-mail accounts to recruits. Currently, the only approved method of corresponding with recruits is U.S. mail.

Proper mailing addresses for recruits are:

SR NAME
SHIP XXX DIV XXX
XXXX STREET OR AVENUE
GREAT LAKES IL 60088-XXXX

Contacting recruits.

Because of the structured nature of recruit training, your recruit will not be able to contact you regularly. Your recruit is given a short phone call upon arrival to let you know that he or she arrived safely. Your recruit will also be given phone calls from time to time throughout training as a reward for outstanding performance. Your recruit's primary means of communicating with family and friends is via the US mail. We highly encourage you to write your recruit as often as you like. Recruits will receive your letters throughout the week but can only respond to them during "holiday routine," on Sunday mornings and non-training days.
 

I need to contact my recruit because of a family emergency. How do I do it? 

American Red Cross communication services keep military personnel in touch with their families following the death or serious illness of a family member or other important events, such as the birth of a child. The Red Cross quickly sends these communications on behalf of the family to members of the U.S. Armed Forces serving anywhere in the world, including ships at sea, embassies and isolated military units. The information or verification in a message assists the service member's commanding officer with making a decision regarding emergency leave.

How to Contact the Red Cross to Send an Emergency Message

Active duty service members stationed in the United States and their immediate family members may call the Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Service Centers for help 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The toll-free telephone number is available through base or installation operators and from local on-base Red Cross offices. See the "Contact Your Recruit" page (link above) for more information.

Other family members who do not reside in the service members' household, members of the National Guard and Reserves, retirees and civilians may access Red Cross services through their local Red Cross chapter, which is listed in local telephone books and at http://www.redcross.org/where/where.html

When calling the Red Cross to send an emergency message to a family member, it is helpful to have the following information:

Service member’s:

• Full Name
• Rank/Rating
• Branch of Service
• Social Security Number
• Military Address
• Information about the deployed unit and the home base unit (for deployed service members only)
   

NAVY EXCHANGE PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES

Can I get a video of my son's graduation from boot camp?

The Navy Exchange Photographic Services at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes offers each graduating recruit the opportunity to purchase division and individual photographs, a division Cruise Book, which highlights the Recruit's Boot Camp experiences from Night of Arrival to Graduation Day and a videotape of the Recruit Pass In Review Ceremony.

Photographs and cruise books may be purchased only by the recruit prior to their graduation from boot camp, however, if your recruit did not order a videotape of the Pass In Review Ceremony, the Navy Exchange Photographic Services Office will accept orders.

Please verify with your recruit that a videotape has not been ordered by them prior to placing your request.

To order a videotape of your Recruit's Pass In Review Ceremony, please provide the following information:

Recruits Name
Division Number
Date of Pass In Review Ceremony
Return Address (Sorry, No P.O. Box or Overseas Addresses Please)
Daytime Phone Number

For prices and additional information, please contact the Navy Exchange Photographic Services Office at (847) 578-6205 or via email at  jerrold_klinkosh@nexweb.org .

Where are your nearest Airports?

Chicago O'hare International

 

What Airport do you recommend?

Unless you live close enough to drive,

I recommend flying into chicage then renting a car.

 

 

I need a room at Great Lakes!

 

North Chicago joins the main gate of Great Lakes.

Great Lakes is a Military Base not a City, and doesn't have Hotels and Motels. Due to this fact we have given you this link to Great Lakes area hotels.

 

 

Click Here to Check Availability, Compare Prices on all Hotels and Reserve a room at Great Lakes, IL.

 

 

Pulaski County Missouri  
Oklahoma Hotels
Fort Leonard Wood Hotels
Fort Sill Hotels
Fort Jackson Hotels
Fort Benning Hotels
Columbia Missouri Hotels
Missouri Hotels
St. Louis Hotels
Springfield Missouri Hotels
Fort Knox Hotels
Great Lakes Navy Hotels
Marine Corp San Diego Hotels
Fort Riley Hotels
Parris Island Hotels
Lackland Hotels
Kansas Hotels
Arizona Hotels
Big Piney Missouri
Pulaski County Daily
Fort Wood Hotels
Military Hotels
New Mexico Hotels
Texas Hotels
Arkansas Hotels
Tennessee Hotels
Florida Hotels
Mississippi Hotels
South Carolina Hotels
Louisiana Hotels
California Hotels
Georgia Hotels
North Carolina Hotels
New York Hotels
Virginia Hotels
Oregon Hotels
Nevada Hotels
Ohio Hotels
Colorado Hotels
Pennsylvania Hotels
Connecticut Hotels

 

 

 

Relevant abbreviations, variants, misspellings: ns naval station il. ill ill. united states us u.s. navy base naval station usn sailors main gate front gate military personnel greatlakes illinios illinoise illinoise ilinois maingate militery personel personell personnell near nearby nearest close closest next around hoteles moteles hotels/motels accomodation accomodations accomadation accomadations hotles cheep