GREAT LAKES – Airman Apprentice Armando Rabago graduated as the top sailor from Recruit Training Command (RTC) Great Lakes, earning the Military Excellence Award (MEA) on March 13, 2025.
Rabago, from San Antonio, Texas, enlisted for a variety of reasons, including the opportunity to change the direction of his life.
“For the first half of my life, I lived in Mexico and it was tough back then,” Rabago said. “My mother wanted the best for me and my brother, but even after we moved to the U.S., things didn’t necessarily get any easier. Growing up I didn’t have much and opportunities were limited. I knew that once I got older, I needed to do something to help my family. For me, joining the Navy was a way to establish a brighter future. I’d be able to see the world, grow as a person and change my way of life.”
The Navy Club of the United States Military Excellence Award is the top award presented to the recruit that best exemplifies the qualities of enthusiasm, devotion to duty, military bearing and teamwork. The award places Rabago at the pinnacle of today’s newest sailors. Rabago is awarded a flag letter of commendation as part of this recognition.
The award, according to Rabago, is the best possible first step to start his naval career.
“When I arrived at boot camp, all I wanted to do was graduate,” Rabago said. “I wanted to make sure I passed all my tests, so I put all of my effort into studying. Winning an award was never on my mind. The hard work ended up paying off, and even though I wasn’t expecting this, I’m really happy that I was able to make my mother proud. It’s made me rethink what I’m capable of, and I’m thankful to everyone in my division for their support. They pushed me to be better, and I hope I did the same for them. I’m excited for what’s to come and feel like I’m as prepared as possible for what the future holds.”
Rabago’s Recruit Division Commanders (RDCs), Chief Gunner’s Mate (GMC) Jordan Reckmann, Mineman 1st Class (MN1) Kevin Carpenter and Aviation Electrician’s Mate 2nd Class (AE2) Shane Smith, guided him through the nine-week process.
“No matter who you are, boot camp will challenge you,” Rabago said. “All of my RDCs held us accountable, and without that hard training, I wouldn’t be set up for success the way I have been. Their job was to develop me into a sailor that’s prepared for the fleet, and I can honestly say that I couldn’t have had better instructors.”
Along with his RDCs, Rabago found inspiration from his family.
“My mother and grandmother are two people that I look up to and am motivated by,” Rabago says. “They are the strongest people I know and have experienced a lot of difficulties. But no matter what they go through, they always have smiles on their faces and kindness in their hearts. They’ve made me a stronger person, and I was inspired by them to get through this experience no matter how difficult things became. Every time I talked to them, I was more determined to succeed.”
Rabago’s biggest challenge faced in boot camp was learning to communicate with a wide variety of people.
“Each division is a mix of people from all over the country,” said Rabago. “We all have different perspectives and different ways of handling issues when they come up. Learning to communicate and interact with each other was difficult at first. What eventually helped us was knowing that no matter what, we all had one thing in common. Everyone here wants to make something out of themselves. Remembering that we can make each other better and learn from each other even when we might always not agree was something that we benefited from. Keeping things in perspective also helped me personally to be more positive.”
After graduation, Rabago will attend Aviation Machinist’s Mate “A” School in Pensacola, Florida, for training on basic aviation theory and skills.
Training at RTC Great Lakes is approximately nine weeks, and all enlistees in the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. More than 40,000 Recruits train annually at the Navy’s only boot camp.