Preserving San Diego's Naval Heritage

Recruit Training

Home| About Us | With Your Help | Contact Us |

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Naval Terminology L-Z ] [ Naval Terminology A-K ] [ Command History ] [ Arrival RTC ]

Recruit Training   -  BOOT Camp

Without a doubt one of the most life effecting changes one may go through.

Recruit training effects some people so much, for so long, that even 60 years later a  graduate of recruit training may still fold some of their clothes as the Navy taught them!  Quite unique since we all know how well we took care of our clothes when we were teenagers!

The next page starts a twenty-one page 1950s Navy produced booklet about "The Boot Camp" experience. We hope it brings back some memories and maybe even it will assist others in "what happens" in boot camp. Even though this booklet is fifty years old, many of the items are still relevant to today's training of the "Boot."

Click on any picture to see a larger view!

Recruit Training Command History

The US Navy started collecting histories from commands beginning in 1959. RTCs 1959 history includes a little additional information about the command before 1959. There are command histories for RTC at the Washington Navy Yard for years between 1959 and 1991. The command histories for 1959 and 1991 are posted on this web site. Recruit Training Command San Diego found its beginning in Balboa Park in 1917 when a temporary training facility was established. Recruit training remained there till 1922. In 1922 recruit training moved to the new Naval Training Station at Loma Portal in San Diego. In 1944 Naval Training Station San Diego was redesignated Naval Training Command and Recruit Training Command was stood up.  The command operated for more than 70 years and was the longest continuously operating recruit training facility when the command closed its doors in October 1993,  four months after celebrating 70 years of recruit training at the  Naval Training Center  in the Loma Portal area of San Diego. RTC San Diego routinely operated with a staff of approximately 1200 personnel. By February 1993 the staff was significantly reduced in preparation for the the command closure. A listing of personnel assigned to RTC can be found on the "Last Staff at NTC, SSC, and RTC web Page.

Joining the Navy brings a whole new vocabulary and way of speaking. Navy lingo is not just relevant to the Navy though, Navy terminology has infiltrated everyday civilian language. Listed in the following two pages is the terminology as it was taught to recruits in the 1980s and 90s. Read through the terms and see how many terms you know and use! Terms are listed alphabetically A-K and L-Z