The Final Transformation

At the end of the eight grueling weeks of training the young men and women completed their transformation. This momentous occasion was marked by a triumphant graduation ceremony. The recruit companies marched one last time upon the "Grinder" and claimed their hard earned sailors hats. For many sailors, graduation became their proudest moment in the Navy. According to Brokaw,

Oh, Graduation Day. That was the most proud time. We knew what we were doing, we were always in step, we had straight lines, and the band was playing music that made us feel really, really, great. Passing a 'review' is an experience that you have to have had all the training before to understand how great it is.[1]

With the journey from civilian to sailor now completed, the recruits moved on to different commands. "The lasting legacy was the recruits that we trained and sent out into the world," David Brokaw states, "You know, you gotta hope that some of them made a difference."[2]