Naval Station Great Lakes — Local services in North Chicago

Oh, I guess this place is OK. When I was there it was real cold. Fortunately it wasn't for boot camp or I may have died. It was just MMA (machinists mate A school) and I still had to walk from my barracks to the classes. When I was there everyone smoked (mostly) and the classrooms were so smoky my clothes really smelled bad by end of the day. But still it was an adventure as was the 2nd time (first being boot camp) that I'd been away from my birth home for an extended stay somewhere. I remember the eagles song "ooh ooh witchy woman, see how high she flies" - playing at the on base pizza place. I was trying to save all my money though so I didn't eat there much. I managed to save $1000 my first few months in the Navy which was a lot considering I made about $200 a month. One time I walked with a friend all the way to Chicago (30 miles) mostly along sidewalks which if I did now would kill me for sure but back then only made my joints hurt a lot as it was all sidewalks almost the entire way along the suburbs as we went. They guy I was with kinda wanted to stop before we got to the sign that says welcome to Chicago as it was getting kinda late and looked a but shady with warehouses and all or something but we did manage to make it and then we took the subway down to the Christian Service Man's center where we stayed I think for free and got a nice egg breakfast and all. I think we went to some museum. Boy was it cold though the wind...

Of the 6 training commands I experienced in my 20 years of naval service, San Diego NTC, Pensacola NTTC Corry, Great Lakes, Ft. Gordon, Norfolk and Dam Neck, this was easily the worst one. To say that morale was kinda low would be like saying that an aircraft carrier is kinda big. Everyone, from students to instructors, were treated miserably. The only saving grace for my 2 times being here for school, in December 1986 - September 1987 and again from January 1990 - May 1990, was going to all the pubs outside the back gate (Circus Pub, The Anchor Pub, Rick's, etc.). However, all of those businesses are now gone and nothing but an empty field remains. I can't even imagine how bad it is now with nothing but the lousy on-base club as a release valve. Only a hole like Great Mistakes could actually make a place worse now than it was 30 some...

Congratulations, this was the first ever graduation I attended that was NOTHING about the graduates. You spent an hour marching your band around and making us listen to that awful “choir” to justify their paychecks. Then we got to spend five minutes watching a guy past his prime swing his big ego around making every one salute him for the entire five minutes, after his grandiose entrance. The speeches were not about our grads. The speeches propagandized videos we were forced to watch were not about our grads. Then we had to wait more then an hour for you to actually release our recruit. The next day, the only day we had with him, you kept him doing paperwork until noon!!! We only got half a day with him, after traveling all that way. You people are way out of touch with...