Navy Heritage Is A Lifeblood
by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Stephane Belcher
August 4, 2023

The air smells stale and you can feel the vibrations from the recruits’ feet striking the deck as the sounds echo off the walls.

“Hurry up!” Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuel) 1st Class Dominique Williams, a Recruit Division Commander (RDC) at Recruit Training Command (RTC), yells at his brother.

Seaman Recruit Tyriek Williams sprints past the orange cones, marking the completion of his official physical fitness assessment (OPFA) in boot camp, ensuring he can graduate.

Policy dictates RDCs cannot have connections or relationships with recruits. Consequently, Dominique Williams officially requested to support his brother’s major training events, such as the capping ceremony at Battle Stations and the OPFA.

“I feel there’s a little pressure for me to ensure I am there for him,” said Dominique Williams, who joined the Navy when his little brother was 12 years old. “I will always be there for him. My biggest thing is being here to provide that coaching, the mentorship opportunities that I didn’t necessarily get when I was a younger Sailor or didn’t necessarily understand it was there for me to take.”

Military service runs in their family, so the Navy is innate to Tyriek Williams.

“I wanted to keep that tradition going,” said Tyriek Williams. “In a way, I feel like I’m on my own path. They just gave me the idea, I actually put forth the effort to stay here.”

Knowing his brother is an RDC definitely influenced Tyriek Williams during his training.

“Just trying to meet his standards and being compared to his standards,” he added. “It made boot camp a little bit harder because other recruits have to follow a straight line; I have to go above and beyond that line.”

Tyriek Williams said even with the added pressure, he knows he’s lucky compared to the other recruits. He said knowing his brother is here and that his family has been in his shoes, he doesn’t feel alone.

“I actually have a family member up here,” he said. “Something that I did enjoy was that I got to see a familiar face sometimes. I couldn’t talk to him, but it was good seeing him when I did.”

Like most older siblings, Dominique Williams provides wisdom. However, he also offers sea stories from his Navy experience, in hopes of his brother surpassing his accomplishments.

“I’m proud of him for finding his path, and providing an opportunity for himself by taking action in his pursuits,” Dominique Williams said. “He wanted to mainly travel the world. He’s seen through me how seeing the world can change your perspective. You learn different cultures and values that you can mold into your being, and for me, it’s provided a different perspective and helped me in my growth.”

Following in his family’s footsteps, Tyriek Williams hopes to return to RTC one day. His brother set the bar. He wants to achieve more than him, which includes wearing the red aiguillette and turning recruits into Sailors.
As Tyriek Williams’ time at boot camp comes to an end, his brother reflects on their legacy. Dominique Williams is proud his brother is out of the house and making a life for himself.

“I’m excited but also anxious,” said Dominique Williams. “Tyriek’s headstrong, motivated to be in the Navy, and I know he’ll give it his best foot forward. If he slips, I’ll be there and he knows that. His morals have a strong foundation from our upbringing. He values and embodies hard work, loyalty, and most of all, family.”

Now officially a U.S. Navy Sailor, Tyriek Williams marches into Midway Ceremonial Drill Hall, wearing his brand-new Service Dress White uniform. The sounds of cheering family, friends and fellow Sailors fills the drill hall.

After the pass-in-review ceremony begins, Tyriek Williams stands at attention and recites the Sailor’s Creed with his brother for the first time.

“I can’t even put it into words,” Tyriek Williams said with a big smile. “I experienced something that my brother experienced. I'm a Sailor now and we can actually get connected on a higher level than we were already on. It definitely feels amazing.”

Now, Tyriek Williams is off to culinary specialist “A” school in Fort Lee, Virginia. After the 31-day course, he’ll report to the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in San Diego.

Boot camp is approximately 10 weeks and all enlistees in the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. Training includes five warfighting competencies of firefighting, damage control, seamanship, watch standing, and small arms handling and marksmanship along with physical fitness and lessons in Navy heritage and core values, Warrior Toughness, Life Skills, teamwork, and discipline. More than 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navy’s only boot camp.

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