Boatswain's Mate Training Pipeline

~13 weeks (3 months) from MEPS to fleet

Training Timeline

Boot Camp— 8 weeks

RTC Great Lakes, IL

Basic military training for all recruits

A-School— 5 weeks

Great Lakes, IL

12.5% washoutDifficulty: 2.2/10

Technical training for rating qualification

Fleet Assignment— 0 weeks

First duty station

Report to operational command

Enter your MEPS ship date to see when you'll complete each stage — and whether you'll be home for the holidays.

Ship Date (MEPS)

Ship dates are approximate and based on the weekly RTC Great Lakes schedule. Confirm your exact date with your recruiter. Source: bootcamp.navy.mil