Navy Recruit Training Command: The Complete 2026 Guide for Future Sailors

If you or someone you love just signed on the dotted line to join the United States Navy, congratulations. You’re about to become part of a tradition that stretches back over 200 years, and it all starts at one place: Recruit Training Command (RTC) in Great Lakes, Illinois. Whether you’re the one shipping out or the proud parent, spouse, or friend researching what comes next, this is the guide that covers everything the recruiter didn’t have time to explain.

RTC Great Lakes is the Navy’s only enlisted boot camp. Every single sailor, from the future nuclear engineer to the hospital corpsman to the aviation mechanic, begins their career here. More than 40,000 recruits pass through these gates every year, and your journey from civilian to sailor takes approximately nine weeks of intense physical, academic, and mental training.

Here’s what you need to know before shipping day, during training, and after graduation.

What Is Navy Recruit Training Command?

Recruit Training Command (RTC) is located at Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago, Illinois, about 40 miles north of downtown Chicago on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. Known as “The Quarterdeck of the Navy,” RTC has been training sailors since 1911 and has been the Navy’s sole enlisted basic training facility since 1994.

Quick Facts:

Detail	Info
Location	3355 Illinois Street, Great Lakes, IL 60088
Phone	(847) 688-2405
Official Website	bootcamp.navy.mil
Training Duration	9 weeks (as of January 2025)
Annual Graduates	40,000+
Parent Command	Naval Service Training Command (NSTC)
Graduation Day	Every Thursday at 9:00 AM CST

RTC is not just barracks and obstacle courses. The campus includes massive training ships (recruit barracks named after famous Navy vessels), classrooms, the USS Trayer destroyer simulator for Battle Stations, a drill hall that seats thousands for graduation, medical and dental facilities, and a galley that feeds tens of thousands of recruits every day.

If your future sailor is PCSing to Great Lakes for follow-on A-School training after graduation (many do, about 40% stay at Great Lakes), check out the full Naval Station Great Lakes base guide and join the NS Great Lakes PCS Pay-It-Forward® Facebook group for insider tips from families already there.

How Long Is Navy Boot Camp in 2026?

As of January 2025, Navy boot camp is nine weeks long. This was shortened from the previous 10-week schedule to streamline training while maintaining the same rigor and standards.

Here’s a general breakdown of what happens each week:

Week	Focus
P-Days (Processing)	Arrival, medical/dental screenings, drug testing, uniform issue, haircuts, administrative processing. Lasts about 5 days.
Week 1	Orientation, meeting your Recruit Division Commander (RDC), learning to march, drill basics, Navy classes begin
Weeks 2–3	Naval history, ships and aircraft identification, UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice), physical training intensifies
Weeks 3–4	Seamanship skills on USS Marlinespike (line handling, watch standing), weapons training with M16 and shotgun, live-fire range
Weeks 5–6	Academic testing, continued PT, damage control and firefighting training, swim qualification
Weeks 7–8	Final PRT (Physical Readiness Test), personnel inspection, firefighting assessment, and the capstone: Battle Stations
Week 9	Graduation preparations, Pass-In-Review ceremony, liberty, travel to A-School

Your recruiter may tell you boot camp flies by. The reality? The first two weeks will feel like a month. But by week five, you’ll find a rhythm. And by the time you earn that Navy ball cap at the capping ceremony after Battle Stations, you’ll feel like a different person — because you will be.

📋 Ready to Plan Your Military Move?

Whether your sailor is headed to A-School after graduation or your family is relocating to support their new career, PCS Pay It Forward® has the tools to make your transition smoother. Start your PCS Plan© today and get a personalized roadmap for housing, schools, and community resources at your next duty station.

What to Bring to Navy Boot Camp (2026 Packing Checklist)

Pack light, seriously. Everything you bring needs to fit in a single small gym bag or travel case. The Navy will issue you everything you need for training, and anything extra gets shipped home at your expense or donated.

Required Documents (Do NOT Forget These)

Photo ID / Driver’s License
Social Security Card
Marriage certificate (if applicable)
Divorce decree (if applicable)
Copies of dependents’ birth certificates (if applicable)
Complete civilian and military immunization records
Direct Deposit form (SF-1199A) with bank account and routing number
Checkbook and ATM card
Recent Pap smear lab report (females over 21, if done within 3 years)

Allowed Personal Items

One pair of prescription glasses (most recent, contacts are NOT allowed during training; military glasses will be issued)
Contact lens case and small bottle of solution (only if you don’t have glasses to wear at arrival)
Wristwatch (conservative style) and wedding ring
Religious medallion (no larger than a dog tag)
Small address book (critical, you won’t have your phone contacts)
Writing materials (no bottled ink)
Pocket dictionary
Pocket Bible or religious text
Hairbrush and comb
$10–$50 in cash (you won’t need more)
Pre-paid calling card (write the card info in your address book as backup)
Running shoes (must be actual running shoes in good condition with laces, no Vans, Jordans, minimalist shoes, Velcro, or speed-lace)
One set of civilian clothing and lightweight jacket (stored in a sealed bag until graduation)

Cell Phone Policy Update (2024)

Good news for recruits and families: as of March 2024, recruits can use their personal cell phones during scheduled calling periods. This is a significant change from prior years when phones were boxed up on arrival and not returned until graduation day. Recruits are typically allowed about five standard phone calls during training, and they’ll use their own devices for those calls.

However, phones are still collected and stored between calling periods. Do not expect to text, scroll, or access social media during boot camp.

Do NOT Bring

Electronics (MP3 players, cameras, handheld games, e-readers)
Tobacco, cigarettes, vaping devices, or chewing tobacco
Alcohol or alcohol-based products
Food, gum, or candy
Glass items including mirrors
Sharp objects or weapons
Aerosol containers
Electric grooming items (hairdryers, curling irons, electric razors)
Magazines, non-Navy books, or playing cards
Large cans of shaving cream (12 oz or larger)
Large deodorants (larger than 4 oz)
Double-edge razors

Pro tip from military families: Write out addresses for everyone your recruit might want to write to, parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, significant other. Once that phone gets collected, they won’t have access to their contacts. An address book is the single most helpful non-required item you can pack.

Cosmetics (Females)

One of each is permitted: face powder, blush, lipstick, eye shadow, and mascara. All must be non-aerosol and not in glass containers.

Navy Boot Camp Physical Fitness Requirements (2026 Standards)

Let’s talk about the part that worries most recruits: the physical requirements. The Navy’s Physical Readiness Test (PRT) is not designed to weed people out, it’s designed to ensure you can handle the physical demands of fleet life. That said, showing up unprepared can lead to injury, setbacks, or separation.

Baseline Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA)

Upon arrival at RTC, all recruits complete an initial baseline fitness assessment, which includes the PACER test (paced wind-sprint style runs). This is not the same as the graduation PRT, it’s an initial screening to confirm you meet minimum standards.

If you fail the baseline PFA:

You get a second attempt within 72–96 hours
Pass the second attempt → placed in a new division (one-week delay)
Fail the second attempt → possible placement in a special fitness division or separation

Graduation PRT Requirements

To graduate, you must achieve an overall score of “Good Low” (average of 60 points) across three events:

PRT Events:

Event	What’s Tested
Forearm Plank	Core endurance, hold a forearm plank position for time
Push-ups	Upper body strength, two-minute cadence push-ups
1.5-Mile Run	Cardiovascular endurance, timed run

Exact minimum times and reps vary by age and sex. Your recruiter should provide the current standards for your age group before you ship, and the Navy’s “START” guide has the full breakdown.

2026 PRT Update: The Navy has returned to two PFA cycles per year (January–June and July–December). While this primarily affects active-duty sailors, recruits should know that fitness standards are taken seriously from day one and throughout your entire career. The Navy has also made body composition standards sex-neutral starting in 2026.

Swim Qualification

Every recruit must pass the Navy Third Class Swim Test:

Jump from a minimum of 5 feet into water at least 8 feet deep
Swim to the surface unassisted
Swim 50 yards without stopping, standing, or holding the pool sides

If you can’t swim: Don’t panic. The Navy has Water Survival Instructors who will teach you in a safe, monitored environment. Many recruits arrive not knowing how to swim and graduate just fine. But if you have the time before shipping, learning the basics will make this much less stressful.

📋 Thinking About Using Your VA Home Loan?

After boot camp and A-School, your sailor will be eligible for one of the most powerful benefits in the military: the VA Home Loan. Zero down payment, no PMI, and competitive rates. Whether you’re stationed at Great Lakes or headed across the country, we help military families navigate the homebuying process from start to finish.

Battle Stations: The Final Test

Battle Stations is the capstone event of Navy boot camp, a 12-hour, overnight, high-stress simulation that tests everything you’ve learned. It takes place aboard the USS Trayer (BST-21), a 210-foot-long, two-thirds scale mockup of an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, complete with Hollywood-style special effects.

What Happens During Battle Stations

Starting around 8:00 PM and lasting through the following morning, recruits face 17 simulated shipboard scenarios, including:

Firefighting — Full gear, fighting simulated fires in smoke-filled spaces
Damage control — Patching severe pipe leaks and flooding
Mass casualty drills — Coordinating triage and administering first aid
Bridge watch standing — Operating as part of the bridge team
Engineering scenarios — Responding to propulsion and power emergencies
Security responses — Reacting to hostile attack and terrorism scenarios
Loading stores and getting underway — Full shipboard operations

Recruits are evaluated individually, as teams, and as a complete division. The simulation uses over 5,000 pieces donated from decommissioned ships and an enclosed 90,000-gallon pool in a 157,000-square-foot building.

Passing Battle Stations

Most recruits pass on the first attempt
Falling asleep during Battle Stations results in automatic failure and a two-week setback
If you fail, you will be given a remediation opportunity, nearly everyone passes on the second try
Upon successful completion, you attend the Capping Ceremony, where you trade your “RECRUIT” cap for the “NAVY” cap, officially becoming a United States Navy Sailor

Families: Battle Stations typically occurs during the final week of training. Because it can happen as late as Wednesday before a Thursday graduation, it is strongly recommended you purchase refundable airline tickets and flexible hotel arrangements. If your recruit fails, graduation gets postponed.

The Future Sailor Preparatory Course (FSPC)

Not quite meeting the physical or academic standards to start boot camp? The Navy’s Future Sailor Preparatory Course may be an option.

Launched in 2023, the FSPC is a pre-boot camp program with two tracks:

Fitness Track (FSPC-PFT)

For recruits whose body fat percentage exceeds Navy accession standards but falls within waiver range (males: 26.1%–32%, females: 36.1%–42%)
Up to 90 days of fitness training, nutrition education, and body composition assessments every three weeks
Fitness track completion rate: approximately 91%

Academic Track (FSPC-A)

For recruits who scored between the 26th and 30th percentile on the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery)
Three-week academic training cycles focused on word knowledge, reading comprehension, arithmetic reasoning, and test-taking skills
Goal: improve AFQT score to 31st percentile or higher
Academic track completion rate: approximately 72%

FSPC participants who complete their track and meet standards enter regular boot camp training. Remarkably, several FSPC graduates have gone on to earn Honor Grad status, proving that a rough start doesn’t determine your finish. Approximately 95% of fitness track graduates and 93% of academic track graduates go on to complete boot camp.

Navy Recruit Pay in 2026

Yes, you get paid from the day you arrive at boot camp. Here’s what to expect:

Pay Detail	2026 Amount
E-1 (Seaman Recruit) Base Pay	$2,407.20/month
BAS (Basic Allowance for Subsistence)	Not applicable during boot camp (meals provided)
BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing)	Not applicable during boot camp (housing provided)
Clothing Allowance	Initial uniform issue covered by clothing allowance deducted from pay

Military pay increased 3.8% for 2026. Your base pay starts the day you arrive at RTC and is deposited via direct deposit, which is why bringing that Direct Deposit form with your bank info is critical.

After boot camp, once you’re assigned to A-School or your first duty station, BAH and BAS kick in depending on your dependency status and location. Check out the full 2026 Military Pay Charts for detailed breakdowns by rank and years of service.

Pro tip: Set up automatic savings before you ship. You’ll have virtually no expenses during boot camp (food, housing, medical, and dental are all provided), so your paychecks can go directly into savings. Many recruits come out of nine weeks with a solid financial cushion to start their Navy career.

Communicating with Your Recruit

Mail

The primary way to stay connected with your recruit is through good old-fashioned letters via USPS.

Mailing Address Format:

SR [LAST NAME], [FIRST NAME], [MIDDLE INITIAL]

SHIP [XXX] DIV [XXX]

RECRUIT TRAINING COMMAND

[SHIP STREET ADDRESS]

GREAT LAKES IL 60088-XXXX

Your recruit will send you their specific ship, division, and street address in their first letter home.

What you CAN send: Letters and small photographs only. Short notes of encouragement are the highlight of a recruit’s day during mail call.

What you CANNOT send: Packages of any kind. No civilian clothing, toiletries, food items, cough drops, water flavoring packets, medicine, or supplements. Any food received is immediately discarded.

Delivery timeline: Standard USPS letters typically take 5–10 business days, plus an extra day for internal distribution to the recruit’s ship.

Phone Calls

Recruits receive approximately five scheduled phone calls during training, and as of 2024, they use their personal cell phones during these designated periods. Each call is brief (usually 5–20 minutes depending on the situation).

Important call milestones:

First night of arrival: one call to let family know they’ve arrived
After major status changes (pass/fail a test, setback in training)
Before graduation: confirmation call with details

Emergencies

For genuine family emergencies (death, serious illness, birth of a child), contact the American Red Cross emergency communication service. They relay messages to the commanding officer, who decides about emergency leave.

Toll-free: Contact through your local Red Cross chapter
Website: redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter

📋 Explore More Military Resources

Moving to a new duty station after boot camp? Don’t go it alone. Our PCS Toolkit has everything from moving checklists to financial planning guides. And if your sailor is doing a DITY/PPM move, we’ve got the complete breakdown of how to maximize reimbursement.

Graduation: What Families Need to Know

The Pass-In-Review ceremony is one of the proudest moments in a military family’s life. Here’s how to be there for it.

Graduation Schedule

Graduations happen every Thursday at 9:00 AM CST
Ceremonies are livestreamed on RTC’s Facebook page and YouTube channel
Full graduation schedule with division dates: bootcamp.navy.mil/Graduation/Training-Group-Graduation-Dates/

Guest Tickets and Access

Each recruit may invite 3–4 guests (depending on training group size)
Children age 2 and under do not count toward the guest limit
ALL guests age 3+ must be on the recruit’s access list
REAL ID is required for all guests age 18+ (effective May 7, 2025). Acceptable alternatives include: valid military ID, valid passport, or all three of the following: official birth certificate, official social security card, and a valid government-issued ID
Tickets are issued at the Recruit Family Welcome Center the week of graduation (not mailed in advance)
Tickets are free, do not purchase from anyone claiming to sell them

Graduation Day Timeline

Time	Event
6:30 AM	RTC gate opens to guests
7:00 AM	Ceremonial drill hall doors open
8:45 AM	All guests must be seated; doors close
9:00 AM	Graduation ceremony begins
9:20 AM	Divisions arrive
~10:30 AM	Ceremony concludes

After the Ceremony

Sailors staying at Great Lakes for A-School: Check-in to their new command immediately after graduation (can take up to five hours). You may wait at the Naval Station Visitor’s Center. Liberty hours are determined by their new A-School command.
Sailors leaving for A-School elsewhere: Depart the day after graduation. Their graduation-day liberty hours are set by their RDC. Ensure your sailor returns to RTC in full uniform before liberty expires.
Overnight Liberty: Available for some sailors depending on their A-School location. Your recruit will call you if they’re eligible. New sailors must stay with their designated “Liberty Buddy” and cannot rent hotel rooms or rental cars on their own. Alcohol is not permitted, even for those over 21.

Travel Tips for Families

Closest Airports:

Airport	Distance from RTC
Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)	~30 miles
Chicago Midway (MDW)	~46 miles
Milwaukee General Mitchell (MKE)	~49 miles

Hotel Info: Contact MWR for graduation travel info and hotel recommendations at navylifegl.com/rtc

Strong recommendation: Purchase refundable airline tickets and avoid prepaid hotel bookings. If your recruit is set back in training or fails Battle Stations, the graduation date changes with very short notice.

What Happens After Boot Camp?

Graduation isn’t the end — it’s the beginning. Here’s what comes next:

A-School

Most sailors proceed directly to an A-School, which is job-specific training for their chosen rate (Navy job title). A-Schools are located across the country:

Great Lakes, IL — Many technical ratings train here (about 40% of graduates stay)
Pensacola, FL — Aviation ratings
San Antonio, TX — Medical ratings (Hospital Corpsman)
Monterey, CA — Language and intelligence
San Diego, CA — Various fleet-specific schools
And many more locations

A-School length varies dramatically, from a few weeks to over a year depending on the rating.

Temporary Holding Unit (THU)

Some sailors may be placed in a Temporary Holding Unit while awaiting clearances, a class start date, or follow-on orders. THU sailors have graduated, are housed separately from recruits, can enjoy liberty, and can leave base for recreation.

First Duty Station

After A-School (and sometimes C-School for advanced training), your sailor receives orders to their first permanent duty station, which could be a ship, submarine, air squadron, shore command, or overseas base. This is where PCS planning truly begins for the whole family.

If Your Recruit Is Separated from the Navy

Not every recruit graduates. Some are separated for medical reasons, failing to meet fitness or academic standards, legal issues, or failure to adapt. If this happens to your family:

Separated recruits are housed at Ship 17 during out-processing
The separation process typically takes 10–20 working days
Transportation home is provided (usually bus or train; recruits may upgrade to flight at their own expense)
Families can meet their recruit at the Great Lakes Metra station adjacent to RTC
Due to the Privacy Act, RTC staff cannot share separation details with family unless the recruit signs a waiver

Characterization of separation:

Less than 180 days of service: typically “Entry Level Separation (Uncharacterized)”
More than 180 days: typically “General Under Honorable Conditions” (unless misconduct was involved)

This is not the end of the world. Many people who are separated from boot camp go on to rejoin later, enter another branch, or build successful civilian careers. What matters is that they tried.

Insider Tips from Military Families

For recruits:

Start training NOW. Don’t wait until your ship date. If you can run 1.5 miles, hold a plank, and do push-ups comfortably before you arrive, you’ll be way ahead of the curve.
Study the Bluejackets’ Manual. You’ll receive it when you enlist. Read it cover to cover before boot camp, it covers Navy ranks, customs, and history you’ll be tested on.
Memorize your chain of command and the Sailor’s Creed before arrival.
Write down every address you might want to write to. Your phone is going away.
Break in your running shoes before you ship. Blisters in week one are miserable.
Learn to swim if you can’t. Even basic comfort in the water helps enormously.

For families:

Write letters early and often. Your recruit is going to feel isolated, especially in weeks 1–3. Those letters mean everything.
Don’t send care packages, they won’t be allowed to keep anything.
Don’t panic if you don’t hear from your recruit for several days. No news is good news.
Join the NS Great Lakes PCS Pay-It-Forward® group to connect with other military families who’ve been through this.
Book flexible travel for graduation. Things change at the last minute.
Be ready: graduation day is emotional. Bring tissues.

Key Contact Information

Resource	Contact
RTC Public Affairs	(847) 688-2405
RTC Official Website	bootcamp.navy.mil
Graduation Info	bootcamp.navy.mil/Graduation/
MWR Graduation Travel	navylifegl.com/rtc
Navy Exchange Photo Services (Graduation DVDs)	(847) 578-6205
Red Cross Emergency Messages	redcross.org
RTC Legal Dept (Separations)	(847) 688-2405, Option 2
USO RTC Great Lakes	illinois.uso.org/rtcgl (staff only, not recruits)
NS Great Lakes CNIC	cnrma.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NAVSTA-Great-Lakes/
Lake County Visitor Info	visitlakecounty.org — (847) 662-2700

Frequently Asked Questions About Navy Boot Camp

How long is Navy boot camp in 2026? Navy boot camp at Recruit Training Command (RTC) Great Lakes is nine weeks long as of January 2025. This includes processing days (P-Days) at the beginning and the graduation ceremony at the end. If a recruit is set back for failing a fitness test, swim qualification, or academic test, their total time at RTC will be longer.

Do you get paid during Navy boot camp? Yes. Pay begins the day you arrive at RTC. In 2026, the base pay for an E-1 (Seaman Recruit) is $2,407.20 per month. Since the Navy provides housing, food, and medical care during training, your paychecks go directly into your bank account via direct deposit.

Can recruits use their cell phones at boot camp? As of March 2024, recruits can use their personal cell phones during scheduled calling periods (approximately five calls throughout training). Phones are collected and stored between calls. Recruits cannot text, use social media, or browse the internet during training.

What is Battle Stations 21? Battle Stations is the 12-hour, overnight capstone event that recruits must pass to graduate. Conducted aboard the USS Trayer, a full-scale destroyer simulator at RTC, it tests recruits on 17 shipboard scenarios including firefighting, damage control, mass casualty response, and watch standing. Passing earns recruits their “NAVY” ball cap at the capping ceremony.

How many guests can attend Navy boot camp graduation? Each recruit can invite three to four guests (depending on training group size). All guests age 3 and older must be on the recruit’s security access list. Children 2 and under don’t count toward the limit. A REAL ID or acceptable alternative is required for all guests age 18 and older.

What should I send my recruit in the mail? Letters and small photographs only. Do not send packages, food, toiletries, clothing, cough drops, water flavoring, or medicine of any kind. Items that are not permitted will be discarded or returned.

What happens if a recruit fails a test at boot camp? The outcome depends on which test is failed. Failing a fitness test may result in placement in the Fitness Improvement Team (FIT) or being set back two to four weeks. Failing the swim test may delay graduation until the test is passed. Failing Battle Stations usually results in remediation and a two-week setback. Most recruits who fail a single test are given the opportunity to retest.

What is the Navy Future Sailor Preparatory Course (FSPC)? The FSPC is a pre-boot camp program at RTC Great Lakes with two tracks: Fitness (for recruits who need to meet body composition standards) and Academic (for recruits who need to improve their ASVAB score). The fitness track allows up to 90 days to meet standards, and the academic track runs in three-week cycles. Over 90% of fitness participants and about 72% of academic participants complete the course and enter regular boot camp.

What are the closest airports to RTC Great Lakes? Chicago O’Hare International (ORD) is about 30 miles south, Chicago Midway (MDW) is about 46 miles south, and Milwaukee General Mitchell International (MKE) is about 49 miles north.

Can family members visit recruits during boot camp? No. Visits are not authorized while recruits are in training, including those in the Recruit Convalescent Unit (RCU) or Fitness Improvement Team (FIT). The first time families see their recruit in person is at the graduation ceremony.

What happens after Navy boot camp? Most graduates proceed to an A-School for job-specific training. A-School locations vary depending on the recruit’s assigned rate (job). About 40% of graduates stay at Great Lakes for A-School, while others travel to bases in Florida, Texas, California, and other locations. Some sailors may be placed in a Temporary Holding Unit while awaiting clearances or a class start date.

Should I buy refundable plane tickets for graduation? Absolutely. If your recruit is set back in training, fails Battle Stations, or has a status change during the final week, graduation dates can shift with very little notice. Refundable tickets and flexible hotel arrangements are strongly recommended.

Your Next Step

Your sailor is about to do something extraordinary. Navy boot camp is challenging by design, it transforms civilians into disciplined, capable members of the world’s most powerful navy. Whether you’re the one shipping out or the one waiting at home, preparation makes all the difference.

For Future Sailors: Start training today. Study the Bluejackets’ Manual. Memorize your chain of command. Write down your addresses. Show up ready and you’ll thrive.

For Families: Write early, write often, and book flexible travel. Join the NS Great Lakes PCS Pay-It-Forward® community to get real advice from families who’ve been through it. And when your sailor walks across that drill deck in their dress uniform at graduation, you’ll know every letter, every prayer, and every moment of worry was worth it.

Last updated: February 2026. Information sourced from bootcamp.navy.mil, navy.com, Navy Personnel Command, and verified military family resources. Always confirm current policies with your recruiter or the official RTC website, as policies can change.