Staff in the Spotlight: Cryptologic Technician (Collection) Second Class Jarrett Lilly

Meet Cryptologic Technician (Collection) 2nd Class Jarrett Lilly, a Recruit Division Commander (RDC) at Recruit Training Command (RTC) Great Lakes, the Navy's only boot camp.

A native of Elkton, Virginia, Lilly joined the Navy for a reason he's honest about: he had some growing up to do.

"College wasn't for me, and I didn't want to work a boring job for the rest of my life," Lilly said. "I decided to do something that would help me to become a better man and allow me to travel and see the world without having to rely on anyone else.”

The values that grounded him came from home, from parents who made sure he never lost perspective.

"My mom and dad taught me early on to stay humble," Lilly said. "Some people have it better off than you, and some have it worse. Always strive to be better, but never at the cost of others. They taught me to be grateful for what I have and to earn my keep."

He found his footing at Fort Meade, where for the first time he could see the tangible results of his work.

"That's when I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be," Lilly said. "I was able to make a real-world impact and actually see the results of what I was doing. Not a lot of people in my field get to see that."

Today, Lilly channels that same drive into training recruits, turning civilians into smartly disciplined, physically fit, basically trained Sailors. It is, he said, one of the most rewarding things he has done in his Navy career.

"The thing I enjoy most is seeing how they start versus how they finish," Lilly said. "They come in rough, and then you watch them come together as a team and make something amazing happen. Every single division impresses me with how they are able to evolve and grow by the end."

The moment that crystallized why the work matters came on his very first push. A recruit approached him one afternoon, about an hour before chow, and asked if they could talk. The recruit was struggling with a feeling of belonging, convinced he wasn't contributing as much as he could and unsure whether he even had a place in the Navy.

"I told him he reminded me a lot of myself when I joined," Lilly said. "Finding your 'why' can be hard sometimes. I told him to remember why he decided to join in the first place, and that once he got through boot camp, the Navy only gets better."

The change came fast.

"The very next day, I saw something shift in him," Lilly said. "All of a sudden he had this attitude that he was there to be part of the world's greatest Navy, and from then on he never let off the gas. He ended up being one of the better recruits in the division."

For Lilly, that turnaround captured everything the job is really about.

"It was a great feeling, seeing someone who trusted me and looked up to me turn everything around so quickly," he said. "It reminded me that our job isn't just about yelling. It's about knowing your people and helping them any way you can."

On difficult days, Lilly draws his motivation from home and from those who never made it back.

"I think about my family back in Virginia. I want to be a role model for my younger brother and my niece and nephew," Lilly said. "I also think about those who never had the opportunity to make it home, and I want to carry their legacy with me. I want to make my country proud."

Looking ahead, Lilly plans to continue his service and finish his degree in political science, ideally landing in San Diego or Hawaii within the next five years.

Lilly continues to support RTC's mission by developing future Sailors, ensuring they leave boot camp with the discipline, confidence, and foundation needed to succeed in the fleet.

Training at RTC lasts approximately nine weeks, and all enlisted Sailors begin their Navy careers at the command. More than 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navy's only boot camp

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