Naval Station Great Lakes

09/29/2026

The Sailors in Naval Station Great Lakes security department are looking squared away in their dress blues. They are well prepared for the uniform shift.

09/28/2026

PRT season is starting at Naval Station Great Lakes. Shout out to the Sailors that took theirs today and passed.

09/26/2026

09/26/2026

🚨1st catch of the season🚨 The semi annual salmon run has begun at the MWR Great Lakes Marina! BZ to Chief Aguila for another great catch!

Fishing poles available for rent at the MWR Community Rec Office & Marina Wed - Sat 8:30 am - 4:30 pm for hourly and daily rates.

Further questions, call us at 847-688-5417.

09/25/2026

Naval Station Great Lakes held a Bells Across America Ceremony to honor and remember the sacrifices made by our fallen service members. During the ceremony, each fallen service member's name is read aloud, followed by the tolling of a bell, commemorating their life and service.

09/24/2026

09/22/2026

Mayor Rockingham and the North Chicago City Council expressed their gratitude for Captain Yargosz’s contributions and the enduring partnership he fostered with the City of North Chicago.

09/22/2026

Thank you to MWR for hosting another great family fun night last Friday. Sailors and their families enjoyed free food, games, activities and even got to see a demonstration of the military working dogs in action.

09/17/2026

09/17/2026

Airman Alexys Joiner graduated as the top Sailor from Recruit Training Command (RTC) Great Lakes, earning the Military Excellence Award (MEA) Sept. 17, 2026.

Joiner, 18, of Abbeville, Louisiana, said she still hasn't fully absorbed what she accomplished.

"I don't think it's fully hit me that I won," Joiner said. "I'm very grateful. Winning this award means all the work I put in wasn't overlooked, that my effort to get to this point wasn't wasted. To me, this is just the beginning of my journey and a stepping stone that shows I can achieve greatness and perform to and above the standard."

U.S. Navy | U.S. Fleet Forces Command | U.S. Pacific Fleet | Naval Education and Training Command | Commander, Navy Recruiting Command | Naval Service Training Command | MyNavy HR

To read more of this story, please click the link below:

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/574867/joiner-earns-military-excellence-award-recruit-training-command

09/17/2026

Chicago Bears players Josh Blackwell, D’Marco Jackson, and Roschon Johnson visited Naval Station Great Lakes for an NFL Salute to Service event. Salute to Service reflects the NFL’s continued commitment to honoring, empowering, and connecting service members, veterans, and their families.
Thank you to Josh, D’Marco, Roschon, the Chicago Bears, and the NFL for supporting our military community!

09/15/2026

MWR want to hear from YOU. Tell us what you need. Let’s enhance MWR programs together.

https://usnavy.gov1.qualtrics.com/.../SV_0Cz2kFd2TySTCjI

Take our short, official Navy MWR survey and help inform future programming and experiences designed to contribute to resiliency, retention, readiness and quality of life.

09/14/2026

Congratulations to the Sailors going through Auxiliary Security Forces Academy (ASF) on completing their on-lethal weapon Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) training. After being sprayed by the OC, the Sailors needed to demonstrate proper weapon handling and takedown techniques to receive their certification.

09/11/2026

Naval Station Great Lakes service members and their families came together for a 5K Run/Walk to commemorate the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001. Participants honored the lives lost, recognized the sacrifice of first responders and service members, and reflected on the unity and resilience of our nation.

09/10/2026

09/10/2026

Airman Sebastian Esquivel graduated as the top Sailor from Recruit Training Command (RTC) Great Lakes, earning the Military Excellence Award (MEA) Sept. 10, 2026.

Esquivel, 18, of Denair, California, said the honor took time to sink in, because he'd walked into boot camp intending to simply get through it.

"When I first heard I won, I was in disbelief," Esquivel said. "My initial mindset entering boot camp was to keep my head down, go unnoticed and get out without any trouble. But after the first week, I felt like I needed to do more. I wanted to be more involved. Every week that feeling grew, and I kept raising the standard I held myself to. It didn't really hit me until my second RDC told me to realize what I'd just earned."

U.S. Navy | U.S. Fleet Forces Command | U.S. Pacific Fleet | Naval Education and Training Command | Commander, Navy Recruiting Command | Naval Service Training Command | MyNavy HR

To read more of this story, please click the link below:

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/574276/esquivel-earns-military-excellence-award-recruit-training-command

09/10/2026

09/10/2026

Shoutout to all our Sailors who took the E-5 Navy-Wide Advancement Exam today. Good luck to all of you on your advancement to Petty Officer Second Class!

09/09/2026

The Safety team at Naval Station Great Lakes fitted our Sailors for Chemical, Biological and Radiological (CBR) gas masks. These CBR masks will allow Sailors to breath safely and prevent exposure in the case of a chemical, biological or radiological attack.

09/09/2026

Congratulations to everyone who received awards today. Thank you for all of your hard work.

09/02/2026

Sailors at Naval Station Great Lakes enjoyed a day of fun on Ross Field. They had the opportunity to enjoy games, snacks, a mechanical bull, and other fun activities. Sailors also donated money to choose who would get a pie to the face and a bucket of ice water poured on them.

08/26/2026

Congratulations to this week’s graduating recruit award winners! 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 highest award a recruit may earn. — SN Noah Sammons, Seaford, Delaware; NRS Salibury, Maryland

• MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA AWARD: Presented to the graduating recruit whose meritorious performance in recruit training demonstrated exceptional professionalism, maturity, integrity and leadership. — SN Raelyn Shaw, Fort Mill, South Carolina; NRS Rock Hill, South Carolina

• 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. — AN Kelvin Ozier III, Charlestown, Indiana; NRS Clarksville, Indiana

• UNITED SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS SHIPMATE AWARD: Presented to the graduating recruit whose enthusiasm, supportive attitude and willingness to help others during their training period exceeded Navy training standards. — SN Nikkia Leiker, Joshua Tree, California; NRS Palm Desert, California

• 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. — SN Matthew Krouse, Boerne, Texas; NRS San Antonio, Texas

• ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD: Presented to the graduating recruit who maintained the highest academic and assessment standards throughout all phases of training. — SN John Sims, Harker Heights, Texas; NRS Killeen, Texas

NRS = Navy Recruiting Station
NTAG = Navy Talent Acquisition Group

U.S. Navy | U.S. Fleet Forces Command | U.S. Pacific Fleet | Naval Education and Training Command | Commander, Navy Recruiting Command | Naval Service Training Command | MyNavy HR